The Challenge HI

It's getting to the point where I'm totally over analyzing this whole smiling and friendliness thing.  Now, keep in mind, I'm walking for at least an hour daily with The Bogart, so I pass people, and often!  Because I've got this whole make Vancouver friendlier mission, I am looking at approaching traffic as opportunities and when they don't match up to my grand goal I get a little pissed.  Even been pshhhhing when someone really ignores me - which happens a lot.  So, I think I've got the challenge "hi" thing going now on the defense cause I'm starting to take this whole eye diversion thing personally, or real personal like my peeps in the South would say.  Now I've got the whole "come on, I dare ya, I dare ya to smile!  Come on MF'er " kinda mug on my face.  Not working.  You know what?  I'm a friggin' hypocrite.

My current analysis has yielded some results:  Vancouverites are punitive.  They search for the bad, or rather the mistakes, in people and they adore pointing it out.  Follow the rules, follow the rules like a bunch of bike riding, Patagonia wearing Oompa Loompas.  But these ones really take charge and when you don't stop for an ambulance, or you do but it already passed so no sense just sitting there staring in awe so you go around the dumbfounded drivers and they get pissed.  So very much finger wagging, head shaking, I say - chiropractors must make a killing here.  Or, the ones in eighteen wheelers who may just honk at you scaring the beJesus (or, the Begrilledcheesus [if you watch Glee]) outta you and when you jump and turn they're ol' diget's a waggin' and you cannot believe these strangers keep on telling you what to do.  And then it hits you!  Or me, as it were,  I am just like them!  I deem my smile campaign as righteous so it's okay to tell strangers what to do.  All the same it is still trying to control people and teach them what I believe is the right way to behave in public.  Who am I?  And what is this whole thing doing to me?

By trying to get everyone to smile and then getting all pissed when they don't I am being a punitive friendship ambassador! That just doesn't fly.  But, now that it's in my head, how do I get rid of it?  The real reason for this blog is to become truly happy here even if tons of people don't seem to be.  I keep telling myself that I know nothing about anybody - what kind of life they've led, whether within a millisecond they could break out into a beautiful smile.  I don't know that.  But, you see I'm a smilophile, I love those goofy teeth baring things.  They are infectious and they are very, very happy and they just warm everything up.  I know it's climate related, but I'm just wishing for more of those smiles.  They're so much fun.

Okay, so it's cold here, but lately stunning, but eventually cold and wet.  People hunker, batten down the hatches, and get from point A to point B - no messin' around.  But when it's good, and there's a moment, a tiny opportunity then just do it:  connect and warm the air. In Florida smiles were passed around like cheap wine at a Slovakian wedding and it was just as much fun.  Warm weather - warm smiles, Cold weather - few smiles.  But can't we work on this?  Am I fighting a losing battle.  Should I just join 'em?

I must confess:  sometimes, I too, don't feel like offering a smile.  Guess that's all right sometimes.  Okay, that said, I could then say that I don't want someone trying to make me smile - that that would piss me off or something. But you know what?  It so wouldn't.  No matter what, I am up for the smile and have one at the ready for the ones living their very own smile mission.  I will give any challenge HI that comes my way a very special smile - pearly whites a blazin'.   May we grow in numbers.