Smile Please!

“ Smile and the world smiles with you”

These wise words spoken a long time ago rings so much truth. When I returned from my stay abroad, the first thing I noticed besides the noise and the dirt of course, was how we Indians walked around with sad grumpy faces

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 Is the reason for not smiling something to do with the fact that it is considered being below your dignity to smile at any Tom Dick and Harry?

When I am abroad I notice people just smile at you on eye contact in malls, on the roads, in public transport. Either you don’t look at faces or you do and then nod or smile. It’s called being polite.

We Indians either just stare without expression or look sad and distant. A bunch of stony-faces that’s what we see every day everywhere!

In a class-room full of children, the teacher walks in, how many children actually smile on seeing her? Very few! You reach your destination, do you hand over the fare to the cabbie with a smile? Tsk! I doubt it! It’s your turn at the cashier, the poor guy has had a tough day, and do we award him with a smile? Nope! 

A little smile can sometimes go a long way especially at a new place when you are desperate to make new contacts and friends, a smile earns you a high score on that front!

A smile speaks volumes. It can be interpreted as sympathy, as support, as understanding, as being an open person. What’s the harm if we smile at strangers? Why live your life fearing everyone and everything?

I for one have zero problem in smiling at a room full of strangers and introducing myself. This change in me happened when, once a long time ago, I sat and brooded at a social do and wasted 3 or 4 hours not speaking or smiling at anyone! Returning home grumpy and irritated at the wasted evening, I made a promise to myself that this will never happen again. And it hasn’t!

So all it takes is a few muscles spreading to increase the value of your face, banish that thought about crooked and gaping teeth, and just say CHEESE! Watch the cheer spread!