Smiles

Infectious Smiles Around the World

Smiling is contagious
You can catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too.

I past around the corner
And someone saw my grin
And when he smiled I realised
That I'd passed it on to him

I thought about that smile
Then I realised it's worth
A single smile just like mine
It could travel 'round the earth

So if you feel a smile begin
Don't leave it undetected
Lets start an epidemic QUICK ...
And get the world infected.

- By Anonymous

So, I've been thinking about one of the reasons that this place drives me so damn crazy. People here don't acknowledge each other. Like when you walk down the street, either you smile and say hello, or you avert your eyes, so as to not make eye contact. Here they do something wildly different, and it's creepy to me. Here they don't make a point of averting their eyes - they let you catch them looking at you. I just don't get that. It's like when you do make eye contact, they don't even say hello, or do the awkward head nod, nothing. It's like you're an invisible thing.

In Baltimore, mostly people just didn't look at you. I was ok with that. Just don't make eye contact... *shrug* I guess that's what I'm used to from growing up. It's like that in California, too. (In the south, it's widely accepted that you greet strangers.)

There was one guy that I used to see on my walk home from work every morning in Baltimore - I can't remember his name anymore, but oh, what great of a smile he had! I'm not sure if he was homeless... In my mind I think he is, living at a local shelter or something. But he was always clean, and never carrying his "home" with him, so I have my doubts. Anyway, I seemed to cross paths with him regularly - he'd be walking south toward the harbor as I walked north from the harbor area to my apartment. He would always smile & say good morning.

One morning, I was walking home after work.. the weather had started to warm up a bit.. It was in the high 30's, and I ran into him right on the harbor. He was grinning and said good morning.. he asked why he hadn't seen me in a while. (I hadn't seen him in about 2 weeks) I told him that I was wondering the same about him. In the 2 or 3 minutes we stood chatting, he said his hellos and good mornings to a half-dozen passers-by. He told me, "Everybody knows me here" and that if I ever wanted to find him, just ask around for "xxx with the ponytail" (Was it John? Maybe Paul? Shit, I don't remember.) He was genuine, and precious. I shook his hand and told him that after 2 months of saying hellos, it was nice to meet him officially.

As we said goodbye, I was filled with such strong emotion I was holding back tears... Got the feeling that somehow I just shook hands with an angel. Never did see him again.. but I do think of him.

Funny how months later, his smile still stays with me. Funny how something as simple as a smile can change a world. Today I am sending you a smile. A real one- genuine. Please share it... Let's all be angels that spread joy.