Post-Emily: A smile is always in style

Spring is almost in the air and that means we might get some sunshine in the near future. Yes, that is frequently how us Pacific Northwesterners tend to construct sentences about the nearing of spring and weather in general. The key is obviously to stay positive, because once the clouds slip away and those rays begin to shine, there really is no place like our emerald neck of the woods. In the torment of homework and paper writing, I caught myself flipping through several fashion magazines this past week. Let's face it kids, school is no excuse to get dropped off the fashion bus. Anyway, I was flipping through Vogue and I began to notice something: models tend to look like emaciated, twelve-year-old boys. I'm sure you all are applauding my keen observations, but I will get to the point. Who would have thought, those emaciated pre-teens tend to look better with a smile on their face. Somehow, it distracts from the unfortunate, malnourished look they are going for. I know, I am so wise. So this got me thinking, about life in general, as it pertains to smiling. There is nothing like a smile from a handsome stranger to brighten someone's day. But then there are those creepy, perverted smiles that come from the forty-year-old man that is walking his Chihuahua as you run by on a short jog. You know he has turned his head to admire your bountiful backside as you continue on your journey. I'm sure I have lifted the hairs on your back like a stint of static electricity. So why is a smile so attractive? Well that's a no-brainer; it makes the bearer of the smile look... Nice. Now that we are all past the climax of high-school cocky-ness, we could all appreciate a little nice in our lives. Smiling is fun, but how does one smile to acknowledge the presence of a fellow human being without being the creeper? The answer is to make it a habit. Smiling in general that is, not smiling at people per se. If you are that happy little camper walking around campus, people will begin to say, "Why does Todd have that hot glow today? Has be been tanning?" Nope, it's the smile! No matter how old you are, how much you weigh, where you are from, what color you are, a smile is always in fashion. The days of the aloof, skinny Manhattanite have crashed with the market. Nice is the new black.