Smiling

[vaneramos]

Silliness this morning. For willowing, who asked for a smile. Besides, I've been looking for an excuse to photograph my new morning coffee mug which I bought at Fair November when ghostsandrobots visited.

~~~~~~~~~~

I've been told I have "smiling eyes." In particular, by a couple of ex boyfriends. I couldn't lay a finger on it, but knew what they meant. Occasionally I see it in the faces of strangers, and it draws us together across a crowded room.

djjo has eyes that smile. With eyes like these, you don't actually have to be smiling for someone to know. He looked at me that way the evening we met. When it was time for me to retire to their guest room he offered company, and I smiled at him.

These nights apart we smile down the phone line. You can hear it in someone's voice. Marketers are told to smile when they're pushing a product.

When the electronic woman comes on the line to tell you you're on hold (as if you didn't know), and that your time is valuable (no, actually they forget to mention that), you can hear her smiling. Smiles can be phony. I've met people who were all charm, and underneath they would stalk you with a knife. I've met others who were charming and underneath they were genuinely sweet and beautiful.

Smiles won't solve the problems of the world. They won't turn us all good. But they make a difference when we think about it. We have to take time and consider how we treat one another. Courtesy is good. Sure, it can have a hidden agenda, but you have to credit people for trying.

You can take anything good and turn it to manipulate others. Some people use frowns to make us think they're bad, dangerous, cool, butch. I have a daughter who dresses in black and wears a spiked wrist band to intimidate people, but when you get to know her, she's warm on the inside. Threats can be a sham, too.

I get my eyes from both my parents. It's a combination of Swiss-German good manners and Irish-Canadian congeniality. The lines go back a long way in Ontario, but the roots are still the same. My eyes arise from generations of Waffles, all smiling at one another and sometimes turning the knife in the back. They liked to cut off their problems rather than getting along. So you sever your feet then traipse through the muddy cornfields, but find yourself eventually alone on a hill. Then you smile at the sky. You can't turn your face away from the wind and the sun, always your companions.

Sometimes we have the courage to walk back and say, "I'm sorry." Or not in words; maybe we find another way, by cooking or hugging.

Smiling only with our eyes. It's in the crinkling lines at the corners. Pale blue must squint to keep out radiance of sun, brightness of love, the conflagration of human passion. The way our hands gesture stories, you would think we were warding off evil spirits. Really we're all loners who hardly fit into the social order of this ape tribe, the politics of everyday life.

We just squint and hope you like us, and if you don't, we'll only cry on the inside.

Comments

[robearal.livejournal.com]

A smiling waffle

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

HaHa, that reminds me of another story I should tell.

Unfortunately we Waffles are comically challenged. I mean we could all (present company included) use a better sense of humour.

But Mickey Mouse is just so *#(@$% cheerful.

[willowing.livejournal.com]

*squeals*

thank you thank you thank you! :D

you made me smile WIDE!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yay, thanks for putting the idea in my head and the smile in my eyes. :-)

Grins and chuckles

[djjo.livejournal.com]

Thank you Van. Your eyes smile as well. Many many times.

And no crying today I hope.

Sending a smile and hug through cyberspace. Sleep well love. Danny

Re: Grins and chuckles

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I got a little choked up a couple times at the concert this evening, but music does that to me, it's a different thing altogether.

:-) xoxo :-)

love

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

I love the second one. Despite the photo-booth feel of the shot, it's really rather sensuous, and allows me to indulge my little pastime of being randy with you in my imagination.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It seems like more than a little one, Shimmer. No wonder my photographs all show bags under my eyes.

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

wonderfully written bit today. I love the silly pics and the mug well If I'd have seen that I would have had to purchse it. Right up my alley with the designs repeating themselves and then the colors!

standing on a hill alone with only the sky... "You can't turn your face away from the wind and the sun, always your companions."

this is good stuff, moving for me in fact, and today I needed moving. be well

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Glad you like the mug. Those are just my colours, cool but cheerful.

Glad this spoke to you. Always pleased to be of assistance. :-)