Smile Like You Mean it.

I noticed something today on my way to work. No one smiles. A friend and I were riding the metro to our respective internships and she commented that it was quiet as a morgue. It wasn’t until she said that to me that I looked around and noticed everyone looking solemnly forward. If I had never been on the metro before I would want to get off because I would assume the train was going somewhere unpleasant. Which is too bad considering one of my favorite parts of the day is the ride to work. My friend and I catch up on what we did the prior evening, what we had planned for the day, and talk about work. We always end up laughing and having a good time, which may be why we get the occasional stare. 

Then it occurred to me that maybe we were the ones being weird. Maybe people don’t smile because it is early in the morning or maybe they don’t want to go to work. Regardless, the D.C. metro reminded me a lot of the metro in Moscow. Not because no one smiled on the Russian metro system either, but because both seemed to only use the metro as a place of business. It took them from point A to point B and occasionally point C on the weekends but that was it. Maybe people didn’t smile because the metro was an extension of work, or maybe the gentle hum and rocking of the train kept them on the brink of sleep. The ride to and from work could much more of a social experience if people talked to one another more, especially with how close they are sometimes forced to stand. I guess next time I’m forced up against the wall with some important people on my way to work, I’ll have to try handing them my business card. -ES