Having A Nice Smile

Something odd happened today. I was at a work event when someone told me I had a nice smile. Now, I never particularly felt as though my smile was unappealing or something that could be relegated to the back end of a horror film, yet I never believed that it would be commented upon.

All of which is to say that I am flattered. Bowled over to the point in which I need to write about it as too often in life we make peace with trudging through each and every day in order to get to the next. We make peace with the consideration that our days should be average and that we should be okay with this, yet why?

What I find in life is that your mood can be seen in everyone around you. Those you speak to and those that you engage with. The mirrors of our lives reflect what we offer. If in the situation above I am looking to provide a level of positivity that is then reflected back then great. It is something that I am proud of.

To sit here in the Harrogate Convention Centre and be able to say that one of the attendees said I have a nice smile whilst expecting nothing in return is lovely. No strings attached, common human decency or courtesy. You can call it what you will but regardless of your interpretation, I am proud.

Happy with the fact that I can say I added to the world in a positive manner. All it took was sitting at a registration desk, smiling as I handed over a badge and doing the same as we enquired about the experience that had been provided. It is something that I hope everyone considers in their day, to think of everyone around.

It doesn't matter if they are your spouse, friend, colleague or complete stranger. We are all human and should be offered the courtesies of life. To be able to have a positive interaction without worrying about how we are coming across or the expectation of anything more.

It really is the simple things that make this life great...Not the money or the perks that we take for granted. It is the conversation and interactions that help us to walk away knowing that we provided meaning to life.

As an only child, I have always been a little shy. It's what happens when you grow up with no one but yourself to bounce ideas off. Yes. I had my Mum also but with no siblings to speak of, you play a lot of games by yourself...I can't tell you how sad it was unlocking all of the Super Smash Bros Melee characters by myself but for all that, there was a lot of positive.

My grandparents become a huge influence in my life. Offering me support no matter what I did. They were the extra assistance I needed in order to become the person I am today. So-called old-fashioned values, I believe that they are the reason I am here today writing this entry to comment about courtesy.

For many it becomes something relegated to memory when you should never stop considering others as that is when you give up on life and start drifting through, only moving through those areas that matter to you, as you have no interest in anything above and beyond this.

My wife and I want to start a family in the next few years. At what point that becomes a reality, I have no idea but I know I love my wife and that when we do start a family, I want to ensure that those values that made me who I am today are transferred over to the next generation.

To ensure that they can go to events and make me proud for the consideration that someone may turn around to say to them they have a nice smile or that they are kind.

It is underrated and I worry that as the world slowly descends into chaos it will continue to be lost. Will children in a hundred years' time simply grunt at each other as manners have been thrown out of the window?

As society has descended back to the caveman era and people lose the courtesies of the past? It is something that I hope will not take place as that would be sad.

Being able to converse with another and offer a smile or a wave that makes them stand back and think life isn't as bad as people are able to show me that life is worth living.

There is reason for this and that life should be cherished. We have no idea where others are in their life journey. They could be having a bad day for example and this is why a smile will perk them up. It will lift them from the dumps and provide a positive outlook fo the day.

The ability to smile or laugh or cry is as human as breathing and we should never take it for granted. We should cherish every single moment in order to say that we were here and we added to the world around us rather than being like my Dad who left me at a young age.

He never cared about anyone except himself and this is where my Grandparents filled the gap and during moments like today, I am so very happy that they did as it has made me who I am today.

I am a 34 years old professional who is succeeding in London, working in the centre of the city. Someone who met his soul mate and is a few years away from becoming a father, which will be the cherry on the cake for me. It is something that I will be every bit as proud of as today's interaction.