The curve of the lips

Have you ever wondered what is the best gift rendered only to humans and not to any other species by the Good Lord??

Undoubtedly the ability to curve the corners of the lips…
The Smile!!!

On the outside, it’s just a play of some muscles and nerves present in and around the opening of the cavernous tummy, the mouth; but it involves the myriad play of emotions and feelings to evoke that ever so scarce curvature of the lips…

To some people like me, it comes naturally… it’s more of a default setting. To smile when I am happy, excited, thrilled, to show my appreciation, my acceptance, my acknowledgement…. I have a smile for all the occasions… It does vary in size and style, but it is there nevertheless…

However, there are people, for whom it is a superhuman effort to exercise those mouth circling muscles!! It’s more exerting than lifting those humongous weights in the gym… Almost as if the flexibility between the cheeks and the lips is non-existent…

Smile,

Chuckle,

Grin,

Smirk,

Giggle,

Snigger,

Laugh…

There are so many facets of this single muscular activity, depending on the horizontal stretching, angle of the curve of the lips and connecting mirth in the eyes…

Why is it so hard or so easy for people to give in to their lighter side?

Is it the presence or absence of the ability to feel happy?

Or does it depend on the amount of emotions a person wants to display?

Is the size of the smile the exact indicator of the amount of happiness?

Is a smiling person happier than a serious one?

Does it make someone more approachable or comfortable to talk to?

We have been blessed with the power of expression. We can show our sadness with tears, our aggression with screams and our joys with laughter. To express oneself is to free oneself. The more uncoiled and simpler a person becomes, the more comforting his smiles become.

As Phyllis Diller says “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight”.

In all truths, a smile alleviates all fears and prepares one for this battleground called life, from where no one escapes alive, but living life till the last drop with a smile is what makes this battle worthwhile!!!

Memories!!

Last evening, getting bored of the mundane present, I tried going through the lanes of the past and ruffle up some interesting anecdote or tale, to enliven and freshen me up…

So I did the next best thing to time travel. I picked up picture albums; of me as a kid, of my kids as babies, my friends at their stupidest best, of my parents as lovebirds, of my classmates – transitioning from toothy toddlers to gawky teens, of my first abode, my school, college, University, of my first “salwar kameez” (in which I looked utterly stupid, as I had always worn airy skirts till then), of my school farewell…

And the list and associated pictures went on and on and on…

Absolutely refreshed, nostalgic and at the same time happy; I tried to jiggle my memory for some more memories and memoirs of yore.That got me pondering… 
Why does the past seem so attractive? When maybe the time when it was “the present”, it might have seemed to be the most detestable and horrid time. Then why; when it has gone by, become a distant memory only to be lived in the deep trenches of the mind; does it come forward to make us nostalgic…

Tiny fading movie stubs, tickets to the circus, the broken string of the first guitar, school badges, pictures taken at the primary school carnival, the first cake recipe written in scrawled handwriting, first ink pens, old ID cards with toothy and bespectacled pictures, art class pictures, the dried and pressed rose received on valentine’s day…

All these remind us of times gone by, good or bad, which would never come again as they have been left behind and the Hands of time have strode on ahead. We try to relive the era in our mind’s eye, to recreate all those dusted and fading memories with the help of souvenirs and small, inconspicuous objects, just so that we can stay in that moment for just a bit longer than is permitted by the sands of time…

There is an unhealthy attraction towards the past, as we can imagine correcting all the mistakes, finish all the unfinished chores, achieve all that was left behind, leave the useless and hug the worthwhile in our minds.As the present is still on and the future is behind the curtains. So the only secure place is the past, which we know and which we can relive, at least subconsciously.

Maybe that’s why, the older the person is, the more profound and clear his memories are, as there is very less scope for a future then…

Memories are like treasure chests, which are hidden deep in the recesses of our subconscious and they need the keys of small souvenirs to open them, providing us with the much needed relief…either in the form of tears for all that was lost or in the form of smiles, for all that was bestowed upon us…

New!!

So, another year has bade bye and is all set to take its place down the memory lane. (The year gone by has made sure that it is etched like an unerasable tattoo, in the Oh! so hated word “Corona”, just as some goons tattooed the famous “Mera baap chor hai” line on our own angry young man’s hand in a memorable film, which reminded him again and again of his misfortune).

Nevertheless, coming back to this system of farewells and welcomes; I was left wondering as to our enchantment with all things novel and our disdain and disinterest in everything that’s “jaana-pehchaana” (recognizable and known)…

Why do we always grapple towards the new?

Why does unknown hold a charm?

What exactly do we expect from the unknown?

Anything new; be it a dress, a movie, a place, an event or for that matter even a new friend, a girlfriend, a mate… Everything seems rosy and beautiful. It’s almost as if we want and expect to turn over a page to a beautiful dream along with anything new that crops up in our life…

Such is our optimism!!!

A new dress for a gala makes attending it more enjoyable,

A new city opens up our eyes to new dreams, new destinations new explorations and new hopes,

A new friend or mate dispels our blues over the failure or incompetence of the past one and fills us with renewed vigour to make it work this time!

A new recipe titillates the taste buds; for better or for worse is a matter to be dealt later on…but the anticipation of tasting it takes the cake! 

A new university seems to make our dream of making it big so attainable,

A new job seems to take us just one step closer to our dreams,

Same starry eyes looks upon a new toy to play with, a new book to explore, a new handbag to sashey along with, a new pair of shoes to twirl in, a new hairstyle to flaunt those tresses…

Isn’t it strange that we love and treasure old habits to a fault but desire new objects to blend them into our old habits?

That we do not want to come out of our comfort zone, yet desire novelty in life?

That old bores us, yet new scares us??

Maybe this attraction towards new and novel is the story of mankind, when our dear Eve convinced our poor Adam to bring that shiny and novel looking fruit from the garden of Eden (which we now boringly refer to as an “Apple”) Strange, that the fruit which is apparently responsible for all the miseries and distresses of human beings, is one of the most detested fruits! Give a child or and elderly an apple, stating it’s virtues and benefits, and see their faces scrunch up in distaste! So, all the blame that Adam and Eve had to bear, bore “fruit” to nothing!!!!!!

Had they been content in the boring old ways of life and surroundings, they would still be lounging comfortably in Heaven, with Satan scratching his head as to what to do next!!!

Now, as we step into a dazzling new year, with all the pomp and show and screams and midnight kisses welcoming it; let’s hope that this time “new” becomes synonymous with “good” and deliver us from all the cacophony, illness and general chaos of this horrible illness which has somehow stalled our lives…

So here’s wishing all of you lovely people a fabulous, rocking, prosperous and “Corona free” Happy New Year from this feather brain!!!!