Saturday, February 23, 2019

Smile-off

Before I started working with the public selling Katie’s sculptures, I had no idea how many people there were in the world who are incapable of or unwilling to respond to a genuine smile.

She sees me, this woman in the orange jacket and the tall knitted cap, I know she sees me, and my smile is genuine, because I know it is, because I’m the one that’s making it. So when she finally does  make eye contact, despite her best efforts to avoid it, she doesn’t exactly scowl, but her face hardens into what can only be called "aggressive neutrality.”

Now my smile is a little forced, I must admit, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let it falter, and I don’t drop my gaze, or my smile, until she has exited the booth.

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