Wat da Wat?

Have you ever really looked at a child’s face and examine his or her expressions?

On our way to school this morning, the stop lights conspired against me. This gave me plenty of opportunity to look at my carmate. Nikki was specially quiet this morning, maybe because she was tired from riding her bike all afternoon yesterday. Or maybe she was just enjoying the morning sun as it gently carresses her face.

With her eyes closed and her new sunglasses perfectly positioned, she rode most of the morning commute with a smile on her face. Yes, early in the morning Nikki has a smile on her face. She is usually like this when she is quiet. And whenever I ask her why she’s smiling, she always says that she’s thinking of something funny.

Nikki’s smiley face actually is not unique. I have observed the same thing from my youngest, CJ. He also has a tendency to smile when he is quite and thinking.

Why can’t adults do this, smile when they are quite and thinking?

Nikki’s smiley face this morning was contrasted by the solemn and troubled face of every driver that I saw on the road. Perhaps because it’s early morning. But, if you really take the time to watch an adult’s face when she is walking or driving, you will see that she has worries written all over her expression.

Unlike Nikki and CJ, adults, myself included, are probably not thinking about something funny. Most are probably occupied with thoughts of bills, work and family problems, or the damn traffic! It’s no wonder that a simple smile is difficult to come by.

I guess this is why I love being around children. For them, everything is simple and funny. They are easy to please and are very appreciative of any attention you give them. They don’t dwell on the past and they certainly know how to live in the present. And most importantly, they are a constant reminder of the good things in life. Good things that make you smile.

It’s just sad that children have to grow up and be a part of the worrisome adult world. When I watch my teenage children sleep, which I often do but they don’t know about it, the peacefulness that they used to have when they were younger has disappeared and it’s replaced by an expression of angst. And, this troubled expression only gets worse as they grow up. Once fully grown, they will develop a permanent scowl even as they sleep.

So perhaps in order to maintain our youthful glee and prevent ourselves from scowling to our graves, we should stop telling ourself to grow up. Instead, we should encourage each other to stay young. We should learn how to deal with our problems like children. Children deal with their problems when they face it. Once the problem is not in their immediate presence, they don’t think about it and they just focus on what is infront of them. This explains why children manage to keep their minds free from worries and occupy it with images of Sponge Bob or Little Bill.

So as adults, in the midst of our quite state, we should put away all the grown up things and bring back our childish thoughts. Maybe then we will be able to again smile like a child.