The Random Smile

I am not a natural smiler.  My father often said I bare the weight of the world on my face.  It's heavy. My husband wishes I would smile more often.  I have to practice smiling.  I know it sounds strange but it is who I am.

In college, I  was called by a good friend to  interview for an RA position at an apartment complex near campus.  I was very excited because it meant an opportunity for free rent.  I went through he interview process and  was very hopeful.  I was very lucky to have a friend who was on the inside because the interviewer  spoke to my friend and said, "I really liked her and think she would be good for the position.  But, does she smile?"  Needless to say, I got the job because my friend  explained it away as nerves.  And from then on, I have had to practice smiling.

I find that  smiling is a helpful  tool as I travel the hallways at school.  Not like a big toothy grin. Just a smile that says I see you everyday on my way to class and I acknowledge that you are  part of my existence.  It helps with the  loss of anonymity that  happens in schools.  It is easier to break a rule when  no one knows who you are than when a familiar face  that seems friendly is headed your way.

I have received some random hello's too.  I admire people who are that self assured to randomly greet  strangers.

I think the best story of random hello-ness happened last year.  I was on my way into the building and realized that I did not have my ID badge on.  In fact, I had no idea where it was and I started to have a conversation with myself about it.  There was this young man who I passed daily and we never really acknowledged each other but on that day, he became privy to my conversation with myself as I explained I had no idea where my ID was.    I turned around, went back to my car and found it.  But since then, I have seen him in the hallways and we always smile and greet each other.

A smile is such a small gesture that reaps such huge benefits.  I'm going to keep working on it.