Pursuit of a smile while travelling ...

I love to travel ! The complete freedom one gets while travelling alone is amazing ! Since there is not a single soul to talk to, one can indulge in plenty of interesting stuff. The best thing about travelling is observing humanity in action at airline lounges and railway stations. I often get absorbed with it ! These places serve as great laboratories for studying people that provide fascinating insight into human nature. In all these years, I have observed many interesting phenomena about human behavior that transcend borders, religion and race. One of the most interesting observations, worthy of discussion and exploration is:

There is dearth of spontaneous smiles...

I have a compulsive habit of counting spontaneous smiles that I come across. When I travel, it becomes a frenzied pursuit. I'm consumed with the adventures and struggles of searching for a happy face that radiates smile which comes from heart, reflects through the glint in the eyes and touches the soul! Amid hundreds of people that one sees, a genuine smile becomes a rare treasure! And if one is fortunate enough to find one, it is mostly from a child or an old person! I often notice a look portraying troubled self absorption that has almost become a universal expression worn by most of the faces! Rarely do I find some laughter at the airports or railway stations! Why don't we exchange smile with a complete stranger? What are we so afraid or absorbed with really? A smile is such a beautiful expression, establishing an instant connection between people and yet we use it sparingly !

Life always provides us ample of reasons to smile, if we are open enough to embrace them! A beautiful scenery, a kind face, a sweet gesture by a complete stranger, a bright day or a toothless smile from an old lady sitting across the street, are some of the perfect ingredients for bringing smile on any face ! However, I must admit, to find a reason to smile is all in head. The gray matter up there that controls our actions needs to be given very clear instructions to smile. And it works! When we start seeing smiles beyond everything in life, doesn't it miraculously starts feeling much better?

The count of spontaneous smiles that I noticed during my travel last week, is four ( I'm not counting the insincere ones ). I saw hundreds of faces and noticed only four spontaneous smiles! Still, I'm celebrating with a Dutch truffle pastry. And that has certainly brought a lovely smile on my face!