When was the last time you were greeted with a smile by a shopkeeper?
Do you remember your teachers smiling or laughing at something?
Hello and welcome to Musings of a MasterNi, I am Minal Desai and here I share with you a medley of my unique experiences shaped by students teachers and life in general.
To answer my own question, No I do not remember any of my teachers genuinely laughing at something or even smiling. Most of them carried a grim face. And as for shopkeepers, I am sure all of you know what our local Indian customer service is like.
And so that brings me to this sad conclusion that while smileys have found a way into our phones, they have virtually evaporated from our public life. For reasons that seem too obscure to me, I see an inverse relationship between smiles and wealth. The more high-end the locality, the fewer the smiles we share with our neighbours.
Also, I have met people who while they tell me about their thriving business or growing kids with such a long face and sombre voice that I wonder if they can see the contrast between their words and their expressions.
And then there are those who get absolutely offended by humour. People who can’t take a joke on themselves or anything they believe in. It seems we are so insecure about our beliefs that the slightest of humour can shake it. But isn’t humour a vital ingredient of life?
Well, the reason why I discuss this today is that I see it disappearing from our students’ lives. Smiles have disappeared from most schools, spaces that are supposed to be the happiest in the world, but can we bring them back? Can you smile at the student in your class? Let them know you are capable of humour. That you are human. And you know that they are too. Smile and greet your neighbours even if you don’t know them. The smiles will help you know them. Smile at your child when he cracks a silly joke, crack a joke at your child. Teach him how to humour. Crack a joke at your meeting, let your colleagues know that you can smile.
it is that time of the year when we make our new year resolutions and we reflect upon what has transpired and what we can do to be better. And this year, I resolve to smile more and may I urge all of you to do the same as well.
Let the smiles fly away from your phones and get back to your face. Smiles and humour have helped me make many friends and avoid plenty of altercations. What has it done for you?
Do share your smiley views with me and don’t forget to subscribe to Musings of a MasterNi and follow me on Instagram and Youtube.
