Some people think I laugh too much. Some people say
laughter is the best medicine. I recall. I was on an airplane with my friend.
We were returning from vacation, and we were laughing and having a good time.
The other passenger sitting by the window next to us was an older gentleman
dressed in tie and suit and appeared serious. We thought he was a preacher. We
ordered beer. He asked for red wine. When we were up in the air about half way
in flight, he said, “Guys you know you all are going to live very long. For, I
have to admit that you are some very happy fellows.” Now, for those who think
that I laugh too much, if it is going to help me to live long and happy, let it
be. But, that’s not the point I want to make.
If you want to laugh and be happy and live long like
me, more power to you. But, what I really want from you is a nice smile. When
we are taking pictures we say, “Cheer!” We say, “Smile!” Why? We do not want to
look unhappy in our photos. I don’t even go so far to ask you to laugh. I know
already where there is a smile the laughter is not far off. Again, I don’t ask
for the laugh because I don’t want you to come out like me, like a dupe who is
laughing too much. I ask for the smile because the smile gives both you and
everybody on your path a better day. In our mega city lives today, we go about
almost not seeing each other. Before we had the phones with Facebook and Twitter
and all to keep us busy, we used to walk with our heads straight ahead or downward to
not see the other person’s face. Now it is less awkward. We are busy on our
smart phones.
One of my friends once told me that nobody would
want to mug me since I always appear so friendly. I don’t know if what he said
is true. But, I know I have never been mugged before even though I am living in
rough Miami; and, I have been close to some well compromised instances. Perhaps
I am lucky! Yet, I ask for the smile because it helps you and others to live. In
rough Miami, it appears as if people do not care for one another. I do my thing;
you do your thing. And worse, it feels as if everybody is armed on the street.
It sounds pretty hostile! Isn’t it? I can assure you. A smile could break a lot
of tension.
Once you start carrying a smile on your face and
spreading it around, people would begin to return the favor to you. This would
render everybody’s life easier. One cause of confrontation I have been observing
in Miami is people cutting in front of others and stealing parking spaces. Many
times, I have witnessed those incidences resulting in big shouting matches. Why
does that happen? It happens because those individuals hold no predetermination
to be nice in the first place. Would you imagine a person with a nice smile on
his face doing something like that? I don’t think so. You don’t smile to
somebody and wish to go ahead and hurt that person! In fact, your smile may even
deter the offender from acting so badly.
People feel good or better when people smile to
them. To the least, if the person had the intention to insult or mug you, he
may say, “Forget it. Let me find a more unfriendly target.” It is still wrong. But,
as far as you are concerned, you have done your homework. You smiled.
By E.C. GRANMOUN
E.C. Granmoun is the author of "The Social Worker" ebook on amazon.com Join E.C. Granmoun on Facebook and Twitter
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