They'll Smile At Me... They'll Smile Not :)
The first week into our recent visit to US while standing in a long check-out line, my daughter, Meera observed, “Mom, most people here seem to be so friendly. They smile even at strangers. Nobody does that in India”. She was right. Subconsciously I had noticed that as well, though had never vocalized it out loud. I asked Meera if she had noticed any similarities amongst people who smiled at her. She thought about it; I thought about it; and we recalled that most often it was the older generation that was more generous with smiles. Also that African-American store employees not just smiled at us, but also added, “How y’all doing today?” or “You have a good day now”. Taking an early morning walk in a park with my sister, I noticed that almost everyone muttered, “Good morning”, or acknowledged us ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by AnuJain
- Jun 10, 2009
- Comments (26)
- Share Story
A Silent Connection in a Beautiful Moment
My attention was divided between the book in my lap and the people passing by when I saw her walking slowly towards my parked car. She had a bright blue saree, a large nose pin, orange marigolds in snow-white hair, a large shoulder bag and a face that showed every wrinkle of her 70 or so years of age. She stopped and put a hand out to rest against the car’s hood, gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. The sweltring day was taking its toll on her slight frame, and the large bag seemed to affect not just her gait, but also her breathing. She reminded me of a delicate bird, struggling because of the weight someone had added to its wings. Was there a way I could do something, anything, to stretch those wrinkles around her mouth to a smile? But then, I wondered, ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by AnuJain
- May 6, 2010
- Comments (26)
- Share Story
