Designs of the Heart

Quick…access the remote…press mute. Just realized that smiling is an activity nearing extinction and I hope it is not an overstatement. It has become fashionable now-a-days to walk around without a smile adorning your face. This is more conspicuous in my part of the world as most faces are covered in summer to beat the heat, in winter to cheat the frost and during the monsoon it is understood but in autumn I suppose the idea is to let the mask remain lest the feelings and emotions get unveiled.

            What a drab way to start your day without a smile but they say when in Rome, be a Roman. So, even I have accommodated the rotten style. I too move around with my head hung down as if intently searching for the distinctly rare reptilian species. The habit continued for some time but the scare of cervical spondylitis awakened me and I straightened my aching neck and adjusted my viewing range focusing on no one in particular.

            There were occasions when the rule was dumped especially when you bump into a colleague who handles the same subject. Again my efforts were in vain as I realized that, he too had to force his facial muscles into a curve. The episode led me to believe that smiling doesn’t improve the disposition of others, need we say about our face value. 

One of my friend was once asked what she wanted to convey through the smile and she replied that it was purely unintentional. The comment, followed was ‘aren’t you ashamed to flash smiles at this age?’ Well … now that the age factor needs to be considered, she pondered, if not now, then very soon the dental strength would loosen and slowly the pearl whites that adorn our oral cavities will vacate the allotted seats. Would she dare to raise the corners of her mouth to flaunt a benign toothless smile?

            Our facial muscles do relax when we flash a smile and our tensed nerves shed the tight crunch when we acknowledge a smile endearingly showered on us. Another encounter with an acquaintance on my way back home was equally disastrous. The person was known to us and so it was quite natural that I accidently forgot to withhold the smile. It was foolish of me not to have limited it to a small curve. Well… it went beyond all decent dimensions as it spearheaded for a 70 mm one, up to the molars, I guess. The effort employed was acknowledged by a cold stare that said, ‘are you mad?’ or probably worse than that.   Being a pedestrian, I had enough time to gather every ounce of sanity left in me to regain composure and made firm decisions not to let myself flow into such uncouth moments. These days, I have succeeded in creating an imaginary Hitler beside me to instruct continuously when I need to restrict the involuntary curvature that the world calls a smile.

             A smile costs nothing but brings cheer to all those around you. Just embrace this spirit and traverse through the unexplored terrains of joy. Smile benevolently, radiate warmth as we greet each other and let endless possibilities of togetherness unfold like a dream. Like an artist fill your easels with colours of delight and shower that master stroke smile for all whom you cherish.

            Even if there is no reason to smile, smile anyway and God will give you a reason to smile.