Smiling

When we read about The Invisible Man I was struck with contemplation. I have claustrophobia and anxiety that makes itself more apparent when I’m faced with being surrounded by large crowds, like for example walking through some streets in San Francisco. I confess that I’ve mastered the art of finding all the possible nooks and crannies to get out of the cluster bubble as fast as possible. My mind is on a mission. I think it’s natural to look for that exit among the throng of people or we just want to be left alone. But the story had me reflecting on how that is one of the clearest manners of how we neglect those around us and isolate ourselves. What tends to catch our attention are aspects that stick out, it could be the people doing an act to obtain money. Or people daringly dancing to a small band’s music as others just gather around deciding whether to join or not. The thousands of people that we have passed throughout these years have merely been passing encounters. Or flitting images that we shuffle through. I’m not suggesting that when we’re out and about it should be this deep over encompassing interaction of seeing into another person’s soul, but rather we could make an effort to share more smiles. That right there, is an indicator of acknowledging the person we make eye contact with. We gravitate towards the familiar, which in public can be the people we recognize and call out to. They are significant enough that even as we’ve brushed aside countless people that day, we single out those that matter to us. We rarely meet someone new nowadays because we hold onto the security that our devices give us. I’m remaining true to what I learned over the summer, you can never know the lives you’ve affected by simply sharing a smile with someone you’ve never met before. It could be the pivotal moment for them to decide to keep on living. It makes sense to question your existence if often one is made to feel as if they don’t matter or aren’t essential to everyday life.