You'll Find that Life Is Still Worthwhile...If You Just Smile

This past Sunday my husband and I had an interesting experience.  I have this habit of turning and looking at the strangers and fellow passengers/drivers, often giving them a big smile. This practice, although solely friendly in nature, is often described as "creepy." However, these simple smiles usually yield pleasant results including new friends or a brightened day. This day was not in the norm, unfortunately. 

So back to my original thought. We were driving down a main street on our way to a family member's birthday celebration and pulled up beside a car at an intersection. As we pulled up at the stoplight, we could hear and see the female driver (blonde) whining loudly and shrilly. My husband proceeded to mimic her quietly for my enjoyment, and we went on to the next light, pulling up to them for a second time. I had only slightly turned my head to glance out the window when I realized the driver was crying and saw the male passenger of the car giving me an angry face and "the finger." I only had time to tell my husband about it before the light turned green, and as both cars lurched forward, a soda was thrown hastily out the window of the aforementioned car and onto our undeserving windshield. The woman driving the car quickly turned off onto a side road, and they were gone.

Our immediate reaction was shock. We couldn't even process why this guy was so pissed off at  us. In other words, our ghasts were officially flabbered. What could we have possibly done to provoke him? Both of us quickly realized we hadn't ever encountered this kind of road rage in our  travels. I thought perhaps the guy was in a fight with his girlfriend, and didn't enjoy me witnessing the humiliating scene. Or perhaps he just assumed that I had taken the screaming lady's side by default, and wanted to seek early revenge. Whatever the reason, my little happy valley self was shaken, and I kept wondering what I did wrong. For the rest of the drive, I attempted to quit looking out my window at anyone, and was wary of any fellow drivers with food and/or throwable objects. A bit of a babyish overreaction, but there it is.  

The rest of the day went on without much event, but this seemingly small incident had been quite the buzz kill, and I was stuck on it being my fault. I felt bad for having looked out my window at all, and rethought the situation of the world today. If you can't look out your window these days without being dumped on, then how are you supposed to smile at complete strangers without reservations?! What is it about society that makes us afraid to say "hello" or be open, even when we don't get soda thrown on us? My whole private campaign of smiling at other drivers was to give spreading joy and happiness a shot, and here I was doing just the opposite. I felt like one of my small efforts to make the world better went down the crapper, and was disenchanted with all of it for a day. But that's the thing about new days: they just keep coming.

So Monday I woke bright and early, went to work, had the usual crazed afternoon of boredom, 
 
and proceeded to make the blessed walk home. There is an intersection I cross on foot every day that is relatively busy, and cars never stop for pedestrians, even though the law supposedly states that drivers should "yield" to pedestrians. 
 
Well, the car that was coming and threatening my efficient walking time came to a stop, and waved me to cross. And suddenly the joy was back; "there are good courteous people in this world!" I thought. 

If you look for the bad, you're definitely going to find it. Sometimes you find it without looking. But, I am convinced that when you look for the good, you can always find some, in some bright corner of your universe. People are people, and they do good and bad things all the time. The key is to see the good. This realization brought some Nat King Cole song lyrics to my mind:



"Smile"

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

I had a dear friend who passed away when we were fifteen that used to sing this song. She was afflicted with a very rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, along with the rest of her siblings. And do you know what? Despite the constant pain and hardship she suffered, she was one of the truly happiest people I knew, or have known since. So just smile, look for the good, and you'll find that life is still worthwhile.