I like to smile. It's part of who I am. Not everyone enjoys smiling, I realize. Maybe that makes me weird? Or maybe it just makes me Southern? My face enjoys a good smile and sometimes my teeth just need to be flashed. I'm a smiler, ok?
Brits don't smile, at least not at strangers. I both talk to and smile at strangers. By the transitive property, I must not be a Brit. Last week I decided that I was going to conduct a little experiment and boldly smile like I haven't smiled since Austin (DC was a scary place to smile at strangers what with all the crack heads and teenage flashers in my neighborhood). Our neighborhood in London is not only safe, it's downright charming so I should survive this trial.
Here's how it will work: On my walk to and from the tube in Chiswick, I will make eye contact with as many people as I can (not an easy feat in and of itself in London!) and then give them a great big smile (with feeling). Afterwards, I will note whether they a) smiled back innocently b) smiled back with a glint in their eye saying 'what do you want?' c) smiled back with a 'how you doin'?' look in the eye d) glare angrily e) offer a confused look or f) look away quickly.
My money is most people will fall into the f category, assuming I can even make the initial eye contact. I'll let you know.
3 comments:
I love this experiment! I can't wait to see the results. You are right - I think it is definatley a southern thing because I noticed how few people smile or make eye contact anywhere outside of the south.
Interested,
Elizabeth Foti
Now, this explains some of the weird looks I got :) Looking forward to see the results.
I would disagree with attributing smiling to south only - come to Ithaca and even in the winter people will smile at you.
(glad to be on your guest-book, thank you! :)
Smiling releases endorphins. Good for all.
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