THE CONSTANT SMILEY...

"Smile.

Have you ever noticed how easily puppies make human friends?

Yet all they do is wag their tails and fall over."

Walter Anderson

 

 I wonder how many songs, how many quotes there are about smiles and smiling?  Trivia to be sure, but still it's nice to think about...more-so when there seems to be so much unpleasantness coupled with anger in this world we live in.

 

When we visited NYC we were advised to avoid looking directly at people on the subway...tad difficult for me because I'm an 'eye contact person'...100%.  But I did my best to do as directed because they knew best...they lived there, I didn't. 

 

Different strokes for different folks?  Yes, I suppose so but it isn't easy when it involves something that's a persons natural tendency.

 

Michael and I have lived with people of different cultures many times; we're both thankful for the opportunities to experience how our lives differed from theirs...sometimes very much the same as ours...interesting and educational. 

 

Greece is a warm country...climate and people wise!  They love to talk, cuss and discuss with great emotions and they're very friendly...also smile and laugh a lot.  Except when 'stupid foreigners' drive on their freshly paved country roads; then they throw rocks at you!  We kept rolling and smiled sheepishly as we quickly put distance between us.  Lesson learned.

 

Germany was a little different; it's a colder country...people are reserved, for the most part.  But they warmed to us as we became acquainted...we weren't on the same level...even so we were admired much of the time.  Spat upon other times.  But still, there was much smiling.

 

A smile is like tight underwear — it makes your cheeks go up.

Author Unknown

China?  Ah, China...the ultimate lifetime transition.  M and I knew little about that mysterious country when we were tapped to relocate there...how quickly one can learn when called.  Absolutely foreign to us and yet, it was extremely simple to accept the fact we would be living there, working there for the Chinese government, no less.  How weird could that be, you think?

Not as weird as one might imagine, we fell right in and were 'at home'.  Not difficult when you're led by a marvelous Father with awesome plans.  You see, God was prepping us most of our married lives; we had lived in many states, many countries and were ongoing trainees...we simply didn't recognize it until later; such an awakening.

So much took place, so many experiences...but one thing that seemed to capture the hearts of the Chinese were our smiles.  They absolutely loved our smiles.  And that opened many doors.

You recall that M and I each taught approximately 300 students every week...at least 50 per class plus curiosity seekers (more than plenty of those).  They would hang out of the windows to watch the two of walk arm in arm to classes...they were all beaming.  The two of us were more or less panting because the walk from our apartment to class was uphill...whoop!

One day my students asked, "Teacher Vasca, why is it you are always smiling"?

 "Why am I always smiling? 
It's like this, I have a very good friend who watches and takes care of me." 

"Oh, who...who is it?"

"Well, I don't think you know Him." 

"Who, teacher, who is it?"

Open the door, Vasca...

"His name is God"...okay, I've opened the door...and...
from then on, they thought about that.  It began with a smile.

Since I'm a born smiley girl, I smiled at every Chinese person I came face to face with...on the street, in restaurants, shops, schools...even the Sumo wrestler look-a-like...you name it, I smiled.  (Incidentally, I think he designated himself  'my protector'...okay by me, he could do it.)
Almost always the Chinese would look a bit puzzled but quickly send a beaming smile in return...so nice! 

We moved to China with a group of young American teachers; nine of them were in the same city we were assigned to but different schools.  M and I were the oldest...by far!  The school we were sent to had a country and a city branch so they had a publicity photo shoot with the group of us but concentrated on the younger teachers...that was a given...M and I stayed in the background...fringes!  

Imagine our surprise when M and I were the featured teachers on the billboards, posters, etc.  The two of us popped up all around that huge city.  Ha, really a big surprise!  How that came about we hadn't a clue but it happened...we continued smiling.

We moved to Qingdao the following year to teach in a private language school with more freedom to teach what He preferred and it went well.  Smiling continued working its' charm. 

One day M and I were shopping for groceries...just the two of us...we enjoyed doing that in the local markets.  Meandering down one aisle we heard a woman's voice calling, "Michael, Michael."  Now how many Chinese would be speaking and paging M in a Chinese market...in perfect English?  She knew who she was looking for apparently 'cause here she came down the aisle toward us...beaming!

We'd never laid eyes on her...never, ever...but she knew us.  "Michael, Michael...I knew that was you, I saw your pictures in a magazine"...how d'ya like that?  The city the magazine was published in a different province, hundreds of miles from where we presently lived. 
Celebrities?  Oh, yeah.

Can't help myself...I smile almost all the time...helps prevent wrinkles or so 'they' say. 
Hey, I'm way over the hill but smiling? 
Never grows old 'cause smiling has no age limits...don't even need a license. 
Just imagine how awesome God's smile is...talk about beaming? 

Andy Rooney said,

"If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it."

That's also a great time to wiggle your tail and fall over.

 

From my heart...to yours,

Vasca