I don't smile.

[conuly]

Well, of course, I *do* smile, often, but not all the time. However, despite this, I am generally quite happy. I am NOT happy when people stop me in the street to tell me I should smile, it's a beautiful day, and ask me why I'm not happy.

I could've said "well, I was happy until some moron, YOU, decided to harass me. I don't think my mental state is any business for strangers."

I could've acted upset, and started crying about how terrible it was that people kept reminding me of my dear departed aunt/friend/goldfish/tv show, or that I didn't talk about my deadly, incurable illness.

Alas, I was neither this eloquent nor this creative. Nor was I content to just ignore him, which is what I usually do in situations like this. Instead, my response was "MY MOOD IS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, SO SHUT UP!"


Well, it made the point, I hope. He's lucky I didn't shove him into the traffic.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/the_silent_one_/]

lol That's great...
Its kinda werid that some stranger stopped you and told you to smile tho...

[conuly]

No. It's not. If it were, I wouldn't be so pissed. This happens to me at LEAST once a month, and I'm fucking sick of it. The only people who have any right to be prying into my feelings and actions are my family and my close friends. And they don't get to assume what I'm thinking either.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

well, as family, i am going to say...

"SMILE! It's a buetiful day out..."

*runs very qwikly and hides for the rest of eternity*

[conuly]

Liz, you coming over tomorrow?

[http://users.livejournal.com/the_silent_one_/]

I don't mean its great that they stopped you (if that's what you meant) I mean its great that you responded like that... I don't think I could ever do that..

[conuly]

Oh. What I meant is that "no, it's not weird. This is a perfectly normal occurance". I figured you wouldn't find it great that I was traumatized (again!). Sorry about that.

[mizemm.livejournal.com]

This happens to me often too. I've never had the courage to say anything, but a couple times, I've grimaced or glared.

[conuly]

You just need to be more pissed off.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

I have the same problem. Smiling just isn't my thing. I've never been stopped by anyone on the street before because of it though.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

People do that to me all the time. I don't find it that annoying, well, I don't yell at anyone about it n.n; today, I was walking around at school when a teacher I'd never seen before walked up to me and said "You know, it's Friday, and school's almost out! Why aren't you smiling?" I just said I would. But that's just the way I am, I don't like the idea of walking around and grinning like a moron all the time.

[conuly]

Well, we all have different tolerance levels. After several years of this, my tolerance for that is minimal, at best.

[takaal.livejournal.com]

What th'...?
People actually stop other people in their tracks and tell them to smile??

I tend to be a smiler - but the most I'll do is smile at somebody (as long as they're not giving of 'creepy/scary' vibe). I figure if someone isn't up to smiling back, well, then they don't feel like it.

[conuly]

People stop me to tell me to smile. And it's creepier than giant spiders, that's how creepy it is. It's creepier than Karl, the Incontinent Klingon, that's how creepy it is. It's creepier than zombie kittens, creepier than attack roses, and creepier than people who skip down the street singing show tunes.

[rachelkachel]

I've always been tempted to skip down the street singing show tunes, although I do admit if somebody else did it I'd find it fairly creepy.

I never smile as I'm walking around, unless I'm thinking of something funny, and even then I try not to because it's weird. Are there who actually go around with grins on their faces?

[invsagoth.livejournal.com]

I never smile when I'm walking around either unless I think of something funny. Even then I try to supress my smile because I think if I'm walking around grinning randomly at nothing people will think I'm a bit off. lol

Back to uly's story. That is really weird. o.O I've never been told to smile... ok, scratch that, I have, but only by family members and once by my boss. But not by random people on the street. xP I don't smile on cue. I don't see how someone telling you to be happy and smile is going to bring about good feelings anyway.

[stejcruetekie.livejournal.com]

Were you per-chance active in the Craigslist discussion on this recently?

[conuly]

No, not at all. Can I get a link?

[stejcruetekie.livejournal.com]

Sorry, it's long gone. It was in the Missed Connections section (totally the wrong area!) and those posts are deleted after 10 days.

[http://users.livejournal.com/the_silent_one_/]

lol That's great...
Its kinda werid that some stranger stopped you and told you to smile tho...

[conuly]

No. It's not. If it were, I wouldn't be so pissed. This happens to me at LEAST once a month, and I'm fucking sick of it. The only people who have any right to be prying into my feelings and actions are my family and my close friends. And they don't get to assume what I'm thinking either.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

well, as family, i am going to say...

"SMILE! It's a buetiful day out..."

*runs very qwikly and hides for the rest of eternity*

[conuly]

Liz, you coming over tomorrow?

[http://users.livejournal.com/the_silent_one_/]

I don't mean its great that they stopped you (if that's what you meant) I mean its great that you responded like that... I don't think I could ever do that..

[conuly]

Oh. What I meant is that "no, it's not weird. This is a perfectly normal occurance". I figured you wouldn't find it great that I was traumatized (again!). Sorry about that.

[mizemm.livejournal.com]

This happens to me often too. I've never had the courage to say anything, but a couple times, I've grimaced or glared.

[conuly]

You just need to be more pissed off.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

I have the same problem. Smiling just isn't my thing. I've never been stopped by anyone on the street before because of it though.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

People do that to me all the time. I don't find it that annoying, well, I don't yell at anyone about it n.n; today, I was walking around at school when a teacher I'd never seen before walked up to me and said "You know, it's Friday, and school's almost out! Why aren't you smiling?" I just said I would. But that's just the way I am, I don't like the idea of walking around and grinning like a moron all the time.

[conuly]

Well, we all have different tolerance levels. After several years of this, my tolerance for that is minimal, at best.

[takaal.livejournal.com]

What th'...?
People actually stop other people in their tracks and tell them to smile??

I tend to be a smiler - but the most I'll do is smile at somebody (as long as they're not giving of 'creepy/scary' vibe). I figure if someone isn't up to smiling back, well, then they don't feel like it.

[conuly]

People stop me to tell me to smile. And it's creepier than giant spiders, that's how creepy it is. It's creepier than Karl, the Incontinent Klingon, that's how creepy it is. It's creepier than zombie kittens, creepier than attack roses, and creepier than people who skip down the street singing show tunes.

[rachelkachel]

I've always been tempted to skip down the street singing show tunes, although I do admit if somebody else did it I'd find it fairly creepy.

I never smile as I'm walking around, unless I'm thinking of something funny, and even then I try not to because it's weird. Are there who actually go around with grins on their faces?

[invsagoth.livejournal.com]

I never smile when I'm walking around either unless I think of something funny. Even then I try to supress my smile because I think if I'm walking around grinning randomly at nothing people will think I'm a bit off. lol

Back to uly's story. That is really weird. o.O I've never been told to smile... ok, scratch that, I have, but only by family members and once by my boss. But not by random people on the street. xP I don't smile on cue. I don't see how someone telling you to be happy and smile is going to bring about good feelings anyway.

[stejcruetekie.livejournal.com]

Were you per-chance active in the Craigslist discussion on this recently?

[conuly]

No, not at all. Can I get a link?

[stejcruetekie.livejournal.com]

Sorry, it's long gone. It was in the Missed Connections section (totally the wrong area!) and those posts are deleted after 10 days.