Rather than talking to each other when we’re out and about, we now have ‘tubecrush.net’. It’s just what we needed; another space for people to post pictures for people to look at in a stalker-like fashion and not communicate properly with each other. Although mildly amusing, I do find it a little creepy.
It was bad enough when iPods were first introduced. We became a silent world where facial expression became our main source of communication in public, making the smile increasingly more important. Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive fan of plugging in my iPod on my travels around London but I don’t understand why we don’t just talk to each other? It would make the journey go a little faster wouldn’t it? Why put aside our community spirit until New Years Eve when everyone sings songs between carriages and passes bottles of bubbly around? And why just communicate when we tut about the inevitable delay as we wait for a platform to free up at Earl’s Court?
Smiling should be something we do without even thinking about it. Like breathing. Or going out on a Friday night. After all, we don’t exactly have a great deal to complain about really do we? Half way across the world, people smile in the most desperate conditions and we don’t smile because ‘we might look a bit weird’. I say lose all reservations and make smiling normal. Apparently we use fewer muscles when we do, so think of wrinkle prevention if you must have an excuse to try it.
At a time when people seem a bit angry at the world, I think a little smile goes a long way. So, next time you’re on the tube or wherever, flash those pearly whites. But before you do, make sure you haven’t got your breakfast in your teeth. That’s just embarrassing.
Go brush those tusks and give it a whirl, you’ll feel better for it. I promise.
The London Ladybird 