The Smile

Ever since my grandson was born, it seemed that he would smile whenever he saw me.

In my office I have a picture of my grandson taken when he was but three months old. He is with my daughter and son-in-law and across his face: a huge smile. Now that he is almost a year old there can be no doubt that his smiles are genuine and not muscular accidents. He will spot me across a room – smile, then dart over to me. It makes my heart sing.

But as I write these words I am riding a commuter train home from my office in Chicago. I have now ridden this train over 15,000 times. But as I look around the train car tonight, I notice that it is without smiles. A few people are reading papers. Some are looking out the window. Some are just staring out into space. But smiles? Not a one. Yet everybody on this train, including myself, was once a small child. Back then, life was an adventure and smiles were automatic things. What happened?

As the economy worsens, Americans adjust to the fact that a lower standard of living will mark their futures. So perhaps there just isn’t much to smile about. But we continue to have dreams of betterment and the hope that one of those rags to riches stories that appears in the newspaper will one day be about us. In the meantime we ride the train, earning just enough income so that tomorrow we can ride it again. We are a nation of worker bees. Somewhere out there must be a King Bee and a Queen Bee. But they are not on the train.

Europe. I was there a long time ago, in the early 1970’s. In those days Europe was divided into east and west. Western Europe was “good” and “Eastern” Europe was “bad.” It’s all changed since then. Now all of Europe leans to the left and is therefore almost entirely “bad.” Evil socialism has crept in.

But wait - those Europeans look like they are having one hell of a time. Their money is worth more than ours. They have free health care. They have a free educational system. They have democratic governments. They are off during the entire month of August. They swim naked on the beach. They have sex. They don’t get fat. They drink fine wine. They live longer than us. And they smile.

America. The sign says: Love it or leave it.

Maybe so.