Culture Paradigms... October 14...Week 5

            What's in a smile?  

How do we feel when someone smiles at us?  And I mean REALY smiles at us. Uses all their teeth!  I assume we feel that the person is kind, welcoming, friendly and is a good person. Or maybe a little too excited, but excited all the same.

What happens when we get a half smile?  Lips close together with ends curled up.  Are they less friendly than the full tooth grin?  What about a person who shows no emotion? Can you still be friends with that person?  I am a full smile kinda person.  I love it when others smile back and show me their true smile but I have learned that sometimes we can't smile the way we want.

I recently moved to a small rural town.  I was excited to start meeting people and maybe get a job as a substitute teacher at the local elementary school.  One night while eating, my front tooth, an implant, FELL out!  I was mortified.  I called the dentist the next day to schedule an appointment.  He did not have the correct specs for my implant, he was going to have to order it.  Well, one week turned to two, then three and four.  Two months later still no tooth.  I have felt that I can't leave the house, can't meet new people because I can't talk to them.  I'm grateful to go to church and wear a mask but that is still hard.  

Sometimes we associate someone not smiling as being mean or rude but what if we change the way we thought about that.  Loose the cultural paradigm.  Ask ourselves why the person isn't smiling.  Maybe they just don't like to smile, maybe they feel uncomfortable smiling or maybe they are having a bad day.  Don't judge. Smile anyway.  "Be of good cheer"

After this experience I want to look at a person as not being less friendly because they don't smile but rather what can I do to get to know that person. 

                            

---NOT ME  ;)---