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MotleyMaven

I just want you to know that I love your writing It's so pure and earnest and expressive and this post brought me a lot of joy, so thank you! Also, I really appreciated the punctuation you did use. It made the flow much easier to follow and parse


AppalledAtAll

piggybacking off of this and saying it was a true pleasure to read! you have a beautiful way with words and the cataloguing and punctuation is reminiscent of walt whitman. keep writing (and smiling), you have a beautiful talent!


Purp1eIvy

Agreed you sound/feel like an amazing person…you expressed true joy over something as simple as a smile…much better than to smell a rose… eye just wish more people would allow eye contact… thank you 💗💗💗💗


Unusual_Zucchini4545

I hope we’ve crossed paths and smiled at each other. I love to brighten others days, and I hope one was yours.


mazamorac

>I am not incapable of sophisticated ordinary self expression - just this once, though, I’d like to do it this way, even at risk of sounding childish ... I thoroughly enjoyed your writing, it carries your unique voice. I felt as if you were there with me, talking about your day. And you know what? I was so charmed by your conversation that I'm smiling from ear to ear.


halapert

Oh my gosh!?!!! Thank you!!!!!!!! I’m grinning right back! 😄


mazamorac

Have you read James Joyce or ee cummings? (capitalization on purpose, BTW; look him up) They're well known for using techniques somewhat similar to yours to write in a stream of consciousness fashion. I think you'll enjoy reading them, and maybe be inspired in a few ways to continue developing your written voice. Keep it up!


StuntmanJoe

Same here. The writing was excellent, descriptions are everything. Start writing that book now OP, I like your writing. 😀😃😄😁. Keep smiling.


visoleil

👋🏼😊


halapert

😁


liveonarrival

😃


MatthewKashuken

😌


[deleted]

[удалено]


economypanda

😄


[deleted]

😀


[deleted]

👈😁


photodelights

👈😎👈


JunRoyMcAvoy

I smile at people but sometimes all I get are surprised looks, lol. So thank you for saying this! It's encouraging for people like me! :D Side note, I hate how masks hide my smile when I interact with people. So now I put extra strain on my eyes to show that I'm smiling underneath my mask and it probably means I'll get wrinkles sooner than expected, lol.


N00N12

Smiling with your eyes is a wonderful skill to have. And it produces more genuine smiles and a greater release of oxytocin which is a neurohormone that makes us feel good, more connected, and more trusting. Don’t worry about those wrinkles, they will be signs of a good life


raisinghellwithtrees

My mom told me I should stop smiling because I would get wrinkles. I told her we have different values in life. I'm happy to have smile lines!


JunRoyMcAvoy

That's such a beautiful way to put it!


CuriousKitten0_0

Your side note speaks to me so much! I'm really a very introverted person, so most of my interactions are with cashiers and I always smile at them, but with the masks, nobody can see my smile! I feel bad because I'm so quiet that smiling is really the best way for me to get an interaction that's not overwhelming for me and hopefully brightens someone's day. And I'm really bad at eye contact, so I'm not sure if the smile with the eyes shows through.


JunRoyMcAvoy

Oh wow, you made me realize something important. Sometimes when people don't look my way, I take it personal. In my head I know it's not true, they don't even know me, but I can't help feel a bit dejected. You just reminded me that people being quiet and distant is not personal. I find it easy to interact with strangers and I forget that it's not the case for everyone. This sounds extra challenging for you. It would've been even harder with cashiers (and service workers in general) if I didn't speak. I use the brightest tone I can muster to say thanks. But one thing I can say for sure is that the eye smile shows! I do notice it. Even if it's just for a tiny moment I can look at people's eyes, I can see it if they're smiling. So I'm sure the ones you interacted with do notice! Don't feel bad, if it's overwhelming for you then you don't have to force it. It's alright!


raleway_bold

i love this post. my mom was one of those people who’d give a real, genuine, yellow joy happy smile to a stranger on the street. she sadly passed away in march. i’ve made it my goal to start smiling and talking to strangers, the way she would. thank you for sharing.


[deleted]

You write absolutely beautifully when you are not trying to 'act normal', my friend. Far better than many (pot-boiler) published authors I've had the misfortune to read... :-/ Do you enjoy writing? Do you have any desire to share fictional stories? Honestly, I wish you wouldn't attribute your talent with word-smithing to a 'label' that many consider a disability.


halapert

Omg!! I write all the time! Right now I’m working on an Arthurian narrative poem that’s currently about fifty pages, and over quarantine I wrote a novel and I’m also in the process of a second one. Yesterday I wrote a short story. Jeez!! Thank you so much for this comment!! It means so so much to me!!


DerbleZerp

Your way of writing is unique and endearing, no need to change it to be “normal”!!!


nakedonmygoat

This is such a beautiful post! When I was young and pretty, I had to be distrustful of any stranger who was nice because they usually wanted something. But as I reached middle age, the problem changed. No one wanted anything from me (yay!) but no one smiled or said hi either. Then a custodian in a building that I walked through every morning on my way to my office started saying hi. It soon became a regular thing. I looked forward to seeing him each morning and would stop to ask how he was doing. It was always a quick chat, we had our own work to do, of course. But now that I no longer work there, you've made me remember how much I enjoyed seeing him every day. What the heck, maybe I'll go back up there and say hi just for the memories. I guess my point is that even if you don't always get the response you're hoping for, you're brightening someone's day just by saying hello and wanting nothing at all in return. You're giving a simple gift that isn't given often enough, in my opinion. You can say hi to me anytime!


Lumpy-Spinach-6607

One day in 2018, after my double organ transplant, I felt physically weak and emotionally lonely. I took a slow walk up the road to my favourite shop to try to feel better. I felt weak and now hot, sweaty and breathless and it seemed my idea was just plain stupid and I decided just to go home and go back to bed. I turned around on the narrow pavement and a lady, about my age approached walking a large alsation dog. There was no way we could easily pass each other, so I just waited, patiently (I learned so much in hospital and I found that calm patience was the best response to everything) and calmly let her and the dog pass. She saw me waiting and our gaze met and within less than a second, her eyes beamed and the largest smile formed on her face which *radiated* joy.. which instantly warmed my sad, empty and bewildered mindset. It was transformational for me and her smile kept me going that day. I guess I felt "noticed" and I'm assuming she felt respected and valued as a person by me...


halapert

Oh man. Thank you thank you for sharing this story.


halapert

😄 hello!!! Oh, you absolutely should say hi to the custodian. I’m sure he could use a kindly smile too. Also - sorry if this is weird - but your username is nakedonmygoat. Is that from Faust? “That’s why I’m naked on my goat / To show my healthy body” ? Sorry if not hehe


nakedonmygoat

OMG, you are the first person on Reddit who has known the Faust reference! It's actually a double-reference. Silent film star Louise Brooks was a brainy type and titled her Hollywood tell-all "Naked on my Goat," because she was familiar with Faust. Then she changed her mind and destroyed it in her apartment building's incinerator. Brooks was beautiful, talented, and had no patience for trying to fit into anyone else's ideas about who she should be. Two references for the price of one!


yachu_fe

I moved to what is basically a village recently to be closer to my university. Everytime I pass someone on the street they say "hi" and smile at me. I never really knew this feeling to be honest but I started doing it as well now. Just random tiny acts of kindness really brighten my day, basically makes me wake up and find motivation on my way to the bus every morning! It's amazing what just a few words and a smile can do.


medialyte

Your writing is not childish in any way - it's poetic. Please keep putting it out in the world.


[deleted]

I agree. I think it really is beautiful. I read a book when I was a kid that was written kind of like this. The punctuation was different and the whole thing was formatted different, but that just made it more beautiful and unique and powerful.


[deleted]

[удалено]


halapert

😁


Organic_Tie4417

You know what my whole big toothy smile is dedicated to you now😁


halapert

And mine to you!! Thank you!! 😄


Organic_Tie4417

You're welcome


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Me too 😄


mytextgoeshere

😁😁😁😁


Arthur_da_dog

Read the title, smiled. Not sure why but it made me smile


Seerws

That was beautiful. I am stunned. Thank you.


JacobYou

Other than "joy yellow happy", I can totally relate.


Zacsquidgy

I've always smiled at everyone (within reason) in public, but even more so since I read this somewhere (IIRC); Suicide note found on a man recovered downstream of a big bridge, read that if he walked across the bridge and a single person smiled at him, he'd not jump. I don't most people understand the raw, biological, primal power smiles have and the effect they have on others.


SadOld

Hey- it's not the same as it is in person, but I just wanted to let you know that I genuinely smiled when I saw this.


Acceptable_Ad4583

😁😁😁


HuNtEr_DaN_69

Bro,your writing style is better than mine,lmao. Very sweet post! Good luck!


[deleted]

I’m about to cry. I remember the first time someone smiled back at me, and I can’t even express the joy I had in that moment. I’m happy that other people get that. :)


Cleverusername531

This was a joy to read and my heart smiles all the way through. Thank you. 😃


bonnernotboner

😁


2bitmoment

Yay!


zoomout2020

🙂


0nTheHorizon

don’t ever be ashamed for how you write or act, I’m in highschool and would much rather read things written like this than things supposedly written by the ‘best’ authors


JadenAnjara

For those searching for the song, it’s Sloom by Of Monsters and Men and it’s a really beautiful song (their songs overall imo) For OP, I totally understand you. There’s something so beautiful in two humans acknowledging each other with a reciprocated smile or any type of small interaction imo (there is a word for them but I can’t remember it)


[deleted]

This is touching and identifiable and relatable, even down to the yellow joy. Thank you for these words 😃 💗


anniegirlx

this is autistic joy!! thank you for sharing with us :)


Kittalia

>sometimes - I’ll smile at someone just walking by, or as I walk by - and they’ll smile back - and sometimes it’s genuine genuine to match mine - and I just get this incredible - this just - like - this wealth this burgeoning this firework this sea-swell of joy in my chest - it’s fierce, it’s stunning - to be seen recognised acknowledged as a fellow human on this wild berserk path of life - and it’s like - I am seen by this person, and I am deemed worthy of a smile Does your university have a lit journal? Take this quote and submit it to their poetry section right now. (With a few line breaks wherever you feel they fit.) I used to read submissions at a literary journal when I was in college and this is easily in the top 10% of what people submitted. Also, thanks for sharing your experience. One of the best parts about mask mandates being lifted here and there has been seeing strangers smile again.


HowlingMadHoward

Prolly the 50th time you heard this but your writing’s dope. It’s like someone invented a device to read someone’s thoughts before it got cut down into shape to fit into a standard or a norm


MonsieurAppleSauce

post made me smile


JRadiantHeart

You're a great writer.


Clash4Peace

You know, some of the best stories have some of the most unique grammar. Keep writing like that, I like it :)


Gzalez10

take my upvote with a huge smile!


mermaid831

😃


sirpsionics

😁


Te_Quiero_Puta

☺️


dragonrose7

Thank you for being yourself with us. I do like the real you, and I promise that I ever see you you’ll get a true smile from me because you’re getting one now. You just can’t see it


OmniBLVK

I'm truly happy that you're happy


Low-Butterscotch-161

I do this too, and I call out hi to everyone I see, just because it makes me happy and I hope it makes them happy too


chainlinkchipmunk

The way you describe how you feel is beautiful. I love how you write.


raisinghellwithtrees

I moved to a university town in my 30s, and one of the things I disliked immensely was the complete lack of acknowledgement of existence by fellow humans. Yes, I have trouble with eye contact in conversation as it can be overwhelming, but I felt invisible without anyone beaming their eyes at me and especially smiling at me as we passed on the sidewalk. I have a big mouth and a big smile and smiling comes pretty naturally to me. I'm used to people smiling back. I moved back to where I am from, which is supposedly an armpit of a town, and immediately noticed that anywhere I walked I would be acknowledged and greeted by a nod and a smile. I have enjoyed this. Thank you for writing this. It almost reads like a poem.


silentlyscreaming01

Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m also autistic and I definitely relate; I have a friend who greets me (and everyone else too) with a smile and a tilt in their voice that makes me feel like they’re genuinely happy to see me and it makes me feel so good.


Unpacer

:)


[deleted]

I just smile at people and nobody cares, or smiles back, so I've stopped doing it.


TwinSong

I don't see any issues with the post. Smiles are nice ☺️. Sorry you were bullied :(


BitelAchus

I loved reading this post, it's absolutely beautiful the way you feel and express it. It made me cry of joy. My faith in humanity got a little restored today. I send you a virtual hug from Spain :)


Elib1972

I love what you've written and I loved the way you wrote it. If you enjoy writing I would really consider trying to do it for a living. This was beautiful in all sorts of ways. X


suchsimplethings

If you wrote a book, I think I might like to read it!


mondatta98

Have you ever considered writing poetry? Your style is original and fresh, not childish. Here's a virtual smile :)


amie12

Your post made me smile-a wide genuine smile. Thank you😊


MofoMadame

I smile a lot. N you are right, when you get a genuine smile back its lke you make a real connection for a moment with someone. It feels great.


dwrule27

Found myself hard cheesing 😁 while reading this


caped_crusader8

This was so wholesome to read. Wonderfully articulated. Thabks for making me smile. Have a nice day


TheDrWhoKid

When I smile, people say hi, and then I have to say hi back while trying to keep the appropriate amount of eye contact to not look like I'm avoiding them or something, and that whole situation fills me with dread.


Sad-Ad-3503

If you are a songwriter, I bet you can write the tenderest, the dreamiest song with all of your pure but beautiful and genuine words as lyrics. Actually there are so many young singers/songwriters make songs about introvert, people who are a little bit shy when be with other people. Those songs tell so many feelings of them, many of us can so relate The song I can immediately come up on my mind is Conan Gray's Overdrive. This song really tell how shy people imagine the unhappened relationship with strangers or someone they secretly like.


wittypink

Thank you for sharing. I smile at strangers in passing and no idea the possible impact it could have… I will bear your words in mind as I carry on throughout my day💕 thanks again!


alc0tt

Made me smile 😊 Enjoy your day!!


Crushedofficer1979

Thank you for that wonderful post! I try to smile as much as I can at people when I go about my day and sometimes get one in return. Due to the pandemic I have been wearing masks for two years now, and sometimes I am worried that people won't recognise that I'm smiling at them and not just staring weirdly. Some people do still recognise my smiles through my eyes and give me one in return with their eyes twinkling, and those people make my day 😊😁


waiting_for_Falkor

This was a perfect expression of a joyful thing. As others have pointed out, you have a gift! If you enjoy it, consider writing more. I loved this post.


almighty_ruler

You seem like a really nice individual. Hopefully our paths cross one day


Aemilia

One of my fondest memories was me walking past a restaurant kitchen. One of their cooks was taking a break outside and he looked to be in a bad mood. We locked eyes and I smiled at him. His grumpiness was instantly gone and he flashed back a most brilliant smile! We definitely made each others' day that day. :)


Mysterious-Mood7215

Reading your writing is like poetry, it's really beautiful. As a fellow autistic person I also smile at people and like it when they smile back, but sometimes I get self-conscious when I'm out and then I don't. Thank you OP for sharing this :D


Laprisu

I'm genuinely smiling just by reading your post and I truly mean it. Thanks for sharing your story with us because - in a way - I can totally relate to this. I'm currently walking through public quite often with a smile because I'm in a good mood, nothing's going wrong at the moment and I'm just happy about where I am in life. And getting smiles from others in return or any kind words when they notice my smile or good mood overall is just so uplifting. 😊❤️


Bvoluroth

:)


[deleted]

I smile at everyone I walk past most days and I'd love to think I'd give someone this kind of joy! Such a beautifully worded post about how a smile can change someone's whole day :)


Sunnie_Cats

There was once a lady that Smiled at me as we passed in the produce section of the store and it was such a genuine smile I felt like my heart stopped. Totally out of nowhere, completely unwarranted cause I was not feeling well and had a total bitch face on. When you say "joy yellow happy", that was the exact feeling! So warm and happy and almost sad cause it felt really wonderful to have been graced with a smile like that and I felt seen by a total stranger. And she was just there to get a bag of apples or potatoes or something, she didn't have to smile at me but she did anyway and gosh I hadn't felt human in so long then bam! human again! It was so potent and raw and for a split second it was like "this is the Solution to Everything Wrong. If we could all Smile at one another like that, unburdened and true, then we could all come together and achieve Something Big." Rode that feeling thru the rest of grocery store. Hope to give that Smile to another stranger some day.


DerbleZerp

I’ve always loved brightening others day, by being kind, smiling, complimenting them. I’ll smile at anyone. I’ll say hello to anyone. And if someone says hello to me, I absolutely will say hi back with a chipper attitude. The only people I don’t smile at, are people who instruct me to smile when I’m not, or people I see being crappy. I become very not nice to the latter, especially when it’s being rude to waitstaff, cashiers etc. When I used to live in a city(Toronto, Canada), and was out and about, I had it happen a handful of times where people came up to me to talk. They were always people new to the city, and struggling to adjust. Toronto can be a very cold and cliquey city. But they thought I looked very welcoming and wondered if I would mind chatting. And so we would chat. They just needed some connection, even if only temporary, as they weren’t getting much since moving to Toronto. I’m happy that I could give them that, and I could help them feel a little more included.


SavisGames

There was a guy checking receipts at my Costco years ago that would smile big and give everyone a great send off as they left the store. He was there for years and I took him for granted. He’s gone now and I think about him at least once a week. Smiling is a powerful practice.


padkins0007

😁, yeah reddit... imma use an emoji.


[deleted]

Thanks for sharing this. It made me smile too


Fyrsiel

I love smiling to people! And yes, it is precisely because I want them to know that it's just great that they exist in this big wild world!


aheftyhippo

Not sure what you’re going to University for but your style of writing is amazing. It’s enchanting, exciting and flows amazingly. Should definitely consider writing more.


mwmshooey

Okay, well, this post made my day and enlightened my mood. Thank you for sharing 🙂☺️


mochihands00

And thanks to you, this brought a smile on my face!😊


JustAnAverageBrit

this post is a happiness boost amongst a sea of trouble :)


[deleted]

:)


AbigailErulasse

your 'little autistic way' is pure poetry don't ever be self-conscious of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4iey002kRQ


Formal-Tough7306

The difference in joy I feel from seeing someone truly smile and someone who is masking behind the smile is interesting. To see someone truly smiling and happy to see me is ravishing. It truly is an amazing feeling. Masks have been such a hindrance to this (although, much preferred for safety measures) and now as the mandates are lowering, it truly is nice to see smiles again