Smiling Faces
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 8 Aug 2022
Dr. Ravi P. Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service
A smile on a face is worth a hundred words. It signifies that the person is happy and contented. It also informs another person who has come near the smiling person that the latter is happy to see the former.
We like to see smiling faces not only of adults but also babies. Sometimes smiling contests are held by a community and the baby whose smile is cutest is considered the most beautiful baby and given a prize — a toy or a new dress or a large balloon, etc.
Again, we occasionally see elderly people smiling on social media. An old lady perhaps 80 years or more is shown smiling when her grandchild approaches her and she blesses the child with a broad and genuine smile. Why does a smiling old person appear beautiful and welcoming. Largely because we feel an old person is weighed down with disease or loneliness and this image is dispelled by the smiling face. A smile is not only to make a person look nice, but is also a means to remain healthy.
In an earlier paragraph I have referred to a smile as worth a hundred words. Not only this, in today’s commercial environment, it can be worth a million rupees or dollars. How? Advertising is the name of the game. If you want to sell some product, you must advertise robustly. Whether it is women’s dress or their footwear or eye-wear, the ads are shown with women – sometimes men , smiling broadly. The broader the smile, the larger the money earned by the person who appears in these ads.
I have also heard some people complaining that they smiled so broadly, their faces are feeling hurt. Well, well, well. Don’t smile so broadly but then be content with smaller incomes.
There are some places — a hospital or a clinic, where one hardly sees people smiling. Obviously they are worried about their illness which shows on their faces. On coming out of the clinic, one sees some smiling faces — their disease is not so serious as thought earlier.
Let us end with a smile:
Smile, smile, smile away your blues
See the blue sky, the birds chirping
Forget that there is sorrow in the skies
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Dr Ravi P Bhatia is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment, an educationist, Gandhian scholar and peace researcher. Retired professor, Delhi University. His new book, A Garland of Ideas—Gandhian, Religious, Educational, Environmental was published recently in Delhi. ravipbhatia@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 8 Aug 2022.
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