Dear Family,
I was going by Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives when I heard a clock chime the hour of 5:00. I felt a shift in the focus of people around me and followed it. There was a changing of the Guard at Horse Guards Parade just up the street so I hustled to catch the action.
As you probably know, the guards are to show no emotion. You’re supposed to be able to taunt them and jeer them and joke at them and they’re supposed to remain completely neutral. However, there was a lead guard in the crew taking up the post that could not suppress a smile. Worse, everyone could tell he was having problems … so of course they egged him on.
Before he took his position, he did manage to get it under control. However, the crowd had seen his weakness and we could tell he was having a really hard time. In his effort to not laugh, he was sweating profusely. His eyes were jutting about. Jokes were flying. He was the focus of perhaps 100 people teasing him to make him smile. The second picture below is when he cracked, and laughed and laughed and laughed. After that, he did manage to get control.
I guess he just had a laugh in his system that wanted out. 😉
It was a fun spectacle to watch. Love, Dad
