THERE ARE SMILES AND THEN THERE ARE SMILES: PUBLISHED IN A GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS

THERE ARE SMILES AND THEN THERE ARE SMILES

Robert Isenberg

“Smile though your heart is achin, smile even though it’s breaking.” ~“Smile,” written by Charles Chaplin

A few months ago I wrote a piece on hugging. It not only got me quite a few hugs, it  got a lot of comments. Of course, all favorable. I plug my ears for any others. I’m  curious what smiles will bring. To me there is a strong relationship between  hugging and smiling. For one thing I’m not particularly good at either.

As with huggers, there are the natural born smilers. There are the quick study  smilers. Then there are the others. I’m definitely one of the others. I’m never sure if a smile could get me into trouble. For instance if I were to be walking in  downtown Lexington and I smiled at all of the people going in the other direction,

I’d be put away or arrested! Women might interpret it as a “come on,” Who knows  what  men might think?

What puzzles me is what if my wife Dana were to do the exact same thing. She  would be greeted with happy, glowing smiles from, I’m sure all genders. Worse if  any of her passers-by were to run into me at a later time,  I would hear “What a  lovely smile Dana has.”

In truth, I have even more issues with Dana’s smiles. I’ve witnessed her meeting  one of her friends or even an acquaintance. I watch carefully as they both smile at  each other. Then out of nowhere, they’ll both break into real, genuine laughter.  “What is that about?!” I cry.   Dana simply smiles at me and says, “If you don’t get it, you don’t get it!”  I’m thinking most guys I know do not greet each other with big  smiles never mind, joyous laughter.

She’s right,  I don’t get it!  I’m still not ready to quit. I say to Dana, “Okay I get the  happy to see you smiles, but nobody spoke! What is so funny?  If nobody said anything, why on earth are you laughing?”  Dana looks at me sadly, shakes her head and says, You really JUST don’t get it.” She’s  right.

Guys laugh when somebody says something funny, but not until.

“Light up your face with gladness. Hide every trace of sadness.” 

Kayla Tausche is on various segments of CNBC, but mostly in the A. M. Her smile propels into my bedroom or wherever I’m watching. She could be discussing a large merger or a significant bankruptcy. It matters not! Kayla will be smiling. Oh my goodness, please don’t tell anyone. I’m actually smiling back at her. I’m  wondering do they ask these smiley women to smile while being shown horrific  scenes during their interview?

“That’s the time you must keep on trying. Smile what’s the use of crying.”

In my case, I have my most smile troubles when someone is taking photos. Cheese doesn’t help. Nothing does. I’m always anxious to see the photos and then mutter to myself, ”What did I expect?”

 Then there’s the pols. Where did Hillary’s new smiley face come from? Doesn’t she  know what she might be getting herself into? Hillary has been there! Who would  want to wake up to that on their plate, especially at 3:A.M. If it were I, I’d quote  William Buckley Jr. when he ran for mayor of N,Y.C. “If elected, I’ll demand a  recount!!” And I wouldn’t be smiling; Nor should Hillary.

 And then there is the Donald Trump smile.  There has to be a better word than  smile to define it. What ever it is, it could eat you for breakfast. I’m not smiling back at The Donald.

There are smiles and there are smiles.

“You’ll find life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.”