Didn't Mean To Leave You With The Wrong Impression Part 1

I remember when I had just moved back to Uganda, someone told me that I shouldn’t smile so much, because people would get the wrong idea.

“Siima stop over smiling-smiling at people, you will give yourself problems,” she said.

At first, in my naivety, I thought she meant that if I kept walking around with a smile on my face, people would think I was touched in the head.

But no.  She meant, and specifically in reference to men, that if I ‘over-smiled’, guys would think that I was up for it and they would approach me with that in mind.

I was slightly taken aback by this, and I’ll explain why.

I grew up mostly in England, where it is considered polite and very common place to smile and/or nod when you happen to pass a person and make eye contact.  I’m not talking about a toothy, my-what-big-pearly-whites-you-have, come-closer-so-I-can-bite-you smile. Just a simple turning up of the lips, in a ‘Hello, fellow human being’, kind of way.

Now, I’ve always been a smiley person, from when I was a kid.  When I went to England and found out that people tend to answer a smile with a smile I thought ‘well this is nice’.  Now, almost halfway into my thirties, it is a hard habit to break.  If I make eye contact with someone, even a stranger, my instinct is to smile.  Especially if they are looking miserable or angry, or just have an unfortunate case of Resting Bitch Face.  (yes, it’s a thing.  Look it up).


So if I happen to see you somewhere, and we make eye contact and I smile, please don’t get the wrong impression: no I’m not weird, nor do I want to get into your pants.  I’m simply acknowledging your existence.  Besides, smiley faces tend to make me feel better about the world, so maybe it’s just my small way of paying it forward.

Comments

  1. Unknown24 December 2015 at 12:47

    This is a wonderful article.

    I just wish to say that people have different mindsets, up to now I just wonder how one can leave being oneself and try to conform to the weird norms people have.

    What I stick to up to-date is: being myself. It takes no effort and God designed equally appropriate defensive mechanism to make me exist even when I have a character that looks inappropriate to some funny reactions!

    I pen-off by saying be your nice and polite self!! God will give you a way and protection to a seemingly funny world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kanyindo8 January 2016 at 15:45

      Thank you Joseph!! And thank you so much for taking the time to read it!

      Delete
  2. wilian25 December 2015 at 15:53

    Thank you Siima, this is some good and interesting stuff...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kanyindo8 January 2016 at 15:45

      Thanks for reading Willian! Much appreciated!!

      Delete
  3. Unknown28 December 2015 at 21:02

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. cseba22 January 2016 at 12:53

    Ohh my!this is serious. But what you should do as Joseph said, be your self otherwise you won't force your self to be who you are not. Seriously!!! You will grow wrinkles

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kanyindo22 January 2016 at 13:24

      Lol!! Charles you are very right. And nobody wants wrinkles! Thank you so much for reading!

      Delete

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