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Current Issue: Volume 130, Number 1 July 14, 2009

Ed/Op


Editorial Notebook
Quit walking with tunnel vision

Posted 02-02-2005 at 3:40PM

Laura Wontrop
Editorial/Opinion Editor

People have a tendency to walk around campus with tunnel vision. When I pass someone walking to and from class and the Union, he is either staring straight ahead or looking at his feet, completely in his own little world. Very rarely does someone make eye contact with you, or even acknowledge your presence.

It’s completely understandable to walk quickly with your head down when it’s 40 below zero and the wind is blowing full blast. In that weather, the main objective of survival is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible so you don’t freeze to death, and usually you’re bundled so tight, only your eyes are showing in between hats, hoods, and scarves.

Although it feels like it, the temperature is not always 40 below and the wind is not always beating against you. I know a secret to feeling warm when it’s in the teens—smiles. A smile can really make someone’s day. It can improve a mood, alter an outlook, or even save a life. Just knowing that someone cared enough to acknowledge your presence can brighten your day, and it really does warm you up.

I always try to walk around with a smile on my face, which I think is a nice gesture. Lately, I’m starting to feel like others are taking me for an idiot for doing so. Many times I’ve made eye contact or given a gentle smile to someone walking past me on campus only to receive an exaggerated scowl or piercing eyes that imply I’m crazy. My grin is not mocking you or concealing secret plans to murder you in your sleep. I’m smiling simply because I want you to know that I know you exist and that you are not alone in life.

Whenever someone has the courtesy to smile back at me, or even initiate a smile, my mood is instantly brightened and it really makes my day to know that someone actually sees me. Smiling is usually contagious. If you see someone with a large scowl on their face, it usually puts you in a pretty poor mood yourself.

I’m not trying to sound like a flower-happy, peace-and-love-obsessed hippie, because I’m not one. Just think about how many people you pass during your day whose moods you can brighten with a smile. They will then pass on their smile to others, and the cycle continues. Think about how much better it would be if everyone was in a good mood. Your smile alone could change so much.

So next time you’re out and about, try out this new concept of pulling your cheek bones up. Say hello, ask how someone is, or at least make eye contact. You might get weird looks like I do, and someone might think you’re crazy. Then again, you’ll prob­ably brighten at least one person’s day and get a smile back from them, which in turn will brighten yours. At least you know that if you smile at me, you’re guaranteed to get a smile back.



Posted 02-02-2005 at 3:40PM
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