Several weeks ago at my internship, the new employee bioboard was going up. Complete with updated pictures of the rehab staff and "freshened up" bio's about their clinical expertise and professional history, each of the 15 or so rehab and support staff were required to powder their noses (save for the 2 males) and smile pretty for the camera. Of course, there's one in every bunch who prefers the more serious, down-to-business look sans smile or even the slightest twinkle in the eye. After several minutes of negotiating, she was convinced that even the tiniest closed-lipped smirk would make her appear more pleasant to potential patients and their family members that pass through the facility in search of PT, OT, or Speech therapy.
Cut to a few hours later: in the rehab office I overhear a conversation between said smile-less employee and my supervisor. It went something like this:
Grumpy: Do I really look mean or scary all of the time?
Supervisor: What do you mean?
Grumpy: Well, C made me smile for my bioboard picture and said that I would scare the patients off if I didn't at least look happy in my picture.
Supervisor: I guess she just meant that everyone looks better with a smile on their face.
Grumpy: But I don't always feel like smiling. I once had a friend who smiled all the time at everyone and she just looked so......simple to me. And if you ever asked her if she really was that happy she would tell you that she wasn't and was just putting a smile on for everyone else. I don't understand why anyone would pretend to be happy....
The conversation continued but the general gist of the whole thing was that Grumpy believes that always smiling makes people appear simple and vapid. I guess that's why she greets all of her coworkers in the morning with a stiff nod of the head and not the slightest hint of a "Hello" or "Good Morning." We wouldn't want to be mistaken for being an ignorant grinning fool now would we? I personally prefer to smile at people in passing, whether they are a familiar face or not. I find very little more rewarding than seeing my own smile reflected on someone else's face. Working in a SNF, it is often difficult to keep a smile on your face throughout the day as you watch the elderly who are sick and weak continue to decline or struggle to make progress, but I give it my best. I find that the simple gesture of offering a smile to our patients changes their entire aura as they return the gesture. I've been told by many of them that I am a "sweet girl" or a "sweet heart" or a "lovely girl" and for other's their family members have expressed appreciation of the energy and vivacity with which I interact with their loved one.
So Miss Grumpy, forgive me for saying so but I could care less if you consider me vapid or simple because I choose to walk through life's tribulations with a smile on my face. I'd rather you make that misconception than to miss out on the opportunity to brighten just one person's day with a cheerful "hello" as I pass them in the hallways. Off the top of my head I can think of a handful of quotes that describe just how important a smiling face can be for someone's attitude, health, well-being, and even outward appearance. Instead, I offer you just one ingeniously stated by Truvy Jones in the ultimate chick-flick Steel Magnolias:
"Smile, it increases your face value."
And so operation "Face Value" has commenced. Truvy's quote in Steel Magnolias holds so much truth. Obviously a sincere smile brightens even the grumpiest of faces. But the ability to smile at another human being offers its own intrinsic rewards. The power to improve someone's day with such a simple gesture no doubt has the effect of making the Smiler feel like a valued and significant individual, not to mention the gratitude the the Smilee likely feels towards your kind heartfelt gesture.
So.... I hereby propose that we all choose to risk the possibility of being MISTAKEN for simple for the opportunity to increase our own face value through a smile.
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