The Problem with being Smiley
The problems with being smiley aren't really that many. People may think you are more outgoing than you are, People may think you are crazy (try walking down a London street smiling at strangers, you'll see what I mean), People may... well, people may think you're me.
And then there is the real problem. Well, the real problem for me. You see, every morning when I walk Dan Jon Jr to School, we pass several people. Some are walking children to School, some parents are walking home from dropping their children at School, some are walking to other Schools, some are walking their dogs, some are just out for a morning constitutional and some are just neighbours who wave from their windows at the various families who walk past.
Dan Jon and I discuss various things that are of interest to us, we practice spellings and answer random math questions. We discuss what is happening after School, what we're having for our evening meal, what we are reading, what we thought of breakfast or a million other things, which on a five-minute journey is seriously impressive.
The other morning as Dan Jon and I walked to School, we saw several parents and children whom we know and of course, we greeted them in a friendly fashion. We saw several parents and children whom we don't actually know, but have seen every morning at roughly the same time for the last few years and so we have a friendly greeting for them too.We saw friends who walk to other Schools and we greeted them too. Several friends saw us and greeted us by name, with a cheery "Hello!".
Then when we were on the School Playground, there were more parents and children whom we know. Children that I know from School Trips I've been on, from my volunteer work in the School, or from occasions when I've gone in to the School as a Governor, or from All Change Days, or Special Assemblies or Sports Day, or from needing to help Dan Jon with working out the Carbs for the meals he has chosen for lunch from the canteen. There are the younger siblings of children from when Top Ender was at the School, older siblings loving dropping off younger siblings before rushing off to their own School...
In short, I greet a lot of people in the morning and a lot of people greet me.
This particular morning stood out because of the family walking behind Dan Jon and I as we walked along to School.
"Good Morning Pippa!" rang out from several parents, smiling towards me because I smile back. "Morning Cupcake!" hollered one of the children to me whilst I called "Morning Sausage!" back. "Morning Pip!" "Good Morning Dan Jon and Mrs Dan Jon's Mum" "Hallo Pippa!" "Good Morning so far?!" "Isn't the weather nice today!" "Are you coming to hear me read today?" "How's your week?" "Did you enjoy your Hot Chocolate yesterday?" "Saw you with your Mum yesterday!" "Mrs Wright!" "Fancy a walk this week?" "Coffee?" "Dan Jon! Can you come to my party?" "Hi!".
You get the picture right?
"Does this woman know everybody?!" I heard murmured behind me and I just grinned remembering the last time a parent asked this and their child asked "Who? Mrs Wright? Everyone knows Mrs Wright!".
And that is the problem with being smiley.
Everyone knows you.
There are worse problems to have and I'm very glad that I only have this one.
And then there is the real problem. Well, the real problem for me. You see, every morning when I walk Dan Jon Jr to School, we pass several people. Some are walking children to School, some parents are walking home from dropping their children at School, some are walking to other Schools, some are walking their dogs, some are just out for a morning constitutional and some are just neighbours who wave from their windows at the various families who walk past.
Dan Jon and I discuss various things that are of interest to us, we practice spellings and answer random math questions. We discuss what is happening after School, what we're having for our evening meal, what we are reading, what we thought of breakfast or a million other things, which on a five-minute journey is seriously impressive.
The other morning as Dan Jon and I walked to School, we saw several parents and children whom we know and of course, we greeted them in a friendly fashion. We saw several parents and children whom we don't actually know, but have seen every morning at roughly the same time for the last few years and so we have a friendly greeting for them too.We saw friends who walk to other Schools and we greeted them too. Several friends saw us and greeted us by name, with a cheery "Hello!".
Then when we were on the School Playground, there were more parents and children whom we know. Children that I know from School Trips I've been on, from my volunteer work in the School, or from occasions when I've gone in to the School as a Governor, or from All Change Days, or Special Assemblies or Sports Day, or from needing to help Dan Jon with working out the Carbs for the meals he has chosen for lunch from the canteen. There are the younger siblings of children from when Top Ender was at the School, older siblings loving dropping off younger siblings before rushing off to their own School...
In short, I greet a lot of people in the morning and a lot of people greet me.
This particular morning stood out because of the family walking behind Dan Jon and I as we walked along to School.
"Good Morning Pippa!" rang out from several parents, smiling towards me because I smile back. "Morning Cupcake!" hollered one of the children to me whilst I called "Morning Sausage!" back. "Morning Pip!" "Good Morning Dan Jon and Mrs Dan Jon's Mum" "Hallo Pippa!" "Good Morning so far?!" "Isn't the weather nice today!" "Are you coming to hear me read today?" "How's your week?" "Did you enjoy your Hot Chocolate yesterday?" "Saw you with your Mum yesterday!" "Mrs Wright!" "Fancy a walk this week?" "Coffee?" "Dan Jon! Can you come to my party?" "Hi!".
You get the picture right?
"Does this woman know everybody?!" I heard murmured behind me and I just grinned remembering the last time a parent asked this and their child asked "Who? Mrs Wright? Everyone knows Mrs Wright!".
And that is the problem with being smiley.
Everyone knows you.
There are worse problems to have and I'm very glad that I only have this one.