This afternoon I went to the local supermarket to volunteer for the food collection - that means wearing a yellow plastic mantle and ambushing people who enter the market, explaining them the goals of the collection, and giving them bags they can fill with a part of their shopping.
Three of the children of my Sunday Christian class were with me, and we had a lot of fun together. The three little girls tackled everyone with big eyes and smart smiles; me, I took care of the stiffest cases. When we had a moment of pause, we discussed the most interessing cases - people who ignored us, others who smiled and caressed the children...
But the fact that stuck me most was realizing how good it was when a reciprocal smile was exchanged. People I had never seen and would never see again, people with grim faces, busy and stressed and worried were surprised by the smile of a complete stranger; a smile directed exactly at them. Unexpected, unbalancing. Warming. The smile was always returned, often with something like a silent 'thanks': for breaking the grey narrow routine they were in - and a never written law of our society, which warns about speaking to strangers.
Making us forget the warming power of humanity.
Here's a note: never lose a chance to smile at passers by :)
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