25. “Smile” Becomes a Demand
Last week, I was out and about, making a start on some errands I had. As I was walking, I was going through my long to-do list in my head. So I wasn’t frowning, I wasn’t smiling. My face was just in neutral.
A man starts heading towards me. As we pass, he tells me, “Smile, it could be worse.”
I stop, stare at him for a moment, and then I say, “My parents were in an accident. My mum died on impact. We’re turning off my dad’s life support tomorrow.”
The guy looked like a robot being suddenly shut down. His face fell. He looked like a deer in headlights. He stuttered and stammered. He was obviously trying to think of something to say, and when he couldn’t, he turned around and speed-walked away.
My parents are both fine. There was no accident. But it annoys me when people think they have the right to dictate how people are feeling and what expressions they make, especially when they don’t know what is going on in their lives. It’s unhelpful and patronizing. Imagine telling somebody who was just been given a terminal diagnosis, “Smile, it could be worse.” Or somebody who has lost a child, been laid off, or is otherwise struggling and in a terrible situation…?