Smile

You should smile more often. Yes, I'm talking to you! You tend to take the world too seriously. It's too frequently a serious place, but that's no reason for you to accommodate its gravity. Make jokes. Give people you do not know reason to laugh. Sometimes, that means acting goofy. Like getting on an elevator with a group of people, all of whom are quiet, and asking, "Who among you doesn't like popcorn?" as you glance around the elevator. Now, many people will consider you crazy, but that's OK. You can assure them you are neither crazy nor dangerous...just curious about the relative distaste for popcorn.

This advice is not any I'm likely to follow...but I want to. I'm too up-tight and reserved (most of the time). We all need to loosen up. We need to understand that work, despite all it does to pay the bills, is not our master. We are our own masters. If we choose to work when we know we should spend the time with our families, we should look in the mirror and ask ourselves what message we are sending to those we love. "You're just not that important..." That's the message. I know, I know, sometimes it's just unavoidable. But most of the time, it is. Think about the message you are sending.

This morning, or was it yesterday, I arrived at the office to see a very large black man sitting on the steps at the side door of my office building, blocking the doorway. He was wearing very large, loose shorts and a t-shirt. He stared at us (my wife and I) as we approached the door. His stare unnerved me; I think it unnerved my wife. As we approached closer, I said, "Hi, how are you today?" and he mumbled something in response, I think "fine." My reaction to him was to be on guard. I'll ask a question the author of The Gypsy's Caravan asked in her blog today: am I a bigot?

I learned a bit later in the day that a new occupant of our office building is an organization called "Special Angels." I understand they help look out for adults with mental disabilities...and I think the guy I found a bit scary was one of their clients. Do I make snap judgments about people on the basis of their appearance? I do and I suppose most of us do. Can I stop that? I don't know. Sometimes, that can be a positive, useful thing. But I guess it's usually not.

Good night.