When was the last time?

[Wildaboutheels]

YOU smiled at someone. A complete STRANGER. For the sake of this Q, we will even include "grins". WHY did you do it?

OR, someone smiled or grinned at you? WHY did they do it?

For no apparent reason????????

There sure seem to be more than a few "pessimistic" attitudes here.

I am betting, if you were dressed as a guy, many of you thought nothing of it? Perhaps you simply returned the smile and went on your merry way?

But IF you were dressed as a woman [doing your best to "pass"] THEY were being "foolish" or insensitive to even make eye contact with you much less have the AUDACITY to offer a smile or grin? They smiled at you? Obviously, it's because they "busted" you? And just had to let you know?

If you are "miserable", at least at times, because you are a CD of some sort, chances are good... that your biggest enemy is as close as the nearest mirror.

Society is NOT out to get us or "hurt our feelings" and the sooner one understands that, the less stressful being different will become.

Maybe a better Q, is when was the last time you smiled at all for any reason?

If you have two functioning arms and legs, a job or income of some sort, and a roof over your head, you are better off than millions of folks on this rock we call earth.

[Candice Mae]

In male mode I will always return the smile to a GG, never know what will happen as usually GGs do not want to be with a guy that looks like he hates the world. I will return the smile to a guy if it is because something funny happened and we both find it funny, other then that its kind of awkward and strange for two random straight GM to smile at each other.

When dressed I'll return the smile at GGs, but not to guys cause some think it is an invitation to hit one me.

[MsRenee]

There shouldnt be any reason why not to smile, sometimes you get the feeling when someone around is not having a good day.
A simpke smile maybe all they need to put them in a better mood.
Theres enough hatred out there and If I can make one persons day a little better than Im happy to flash a smile.
Just like going thrh a drive thu and paying for the person behind you. Pass it on.
Happy Holidays
Renee

[Jenniferathome]

I live in a very friendly city and state. You can not walk past someone without saying "Hi" and with that is a smile. Whether they are male or female or I am male or "female" I extend a smile and hello.

What's most interesting to me is that when I am out of town and do the same, people have a "shocked" look. Like, "why is this guy talking to me?" I love Boise, Idaho.

[Kelly DeWinter]

Why in Maryland (the most feminine state in the republic) we smile all of the time and say HI to everyone, in fact the letters H,I were not part of the English language until Maryland was declared a state, the the first Marylander s tipped their hats and curtsied to each and every person who entered the state.

[Diana Bain]

I smiled this morning because I woke up:D(Think about it)

[Beverley Sims]

I smile and recognise the presence of most people.
I used to give them the wink of an eye as well, but I was warned that this was inappropriate for some reason.
Last time I smiled was at my wife a few minutes ago.
She is always good for a laugh. :)

[amy canada]

A couple weeks ago, I was on a break and walking down the hall at work, totally in drab, and saw a beautiful tall blonde who I had seen earlier this year and I smiled at her and she smiled back. The next day at around the same time, the same thing happened, but this time, she was in the lobby.

A couple days later, I saw her in the hallway again and this time, I asked how she was, and she said she was really good. I kept walking, turned to look at her, and she was looking at me, so I was thinking she was really interested in me, but I just kept walking and I was thinking I should've asked her out on a date. I didn't see her the next day, so I thought I blew my chance.

Then a couple days later again, I saw again! We were both going to our respective restrooms, then I exited first and needed to get something in the car, but I hung around first. Then she came out and walked towards me so that's when I asked her if she was dating anyone. "Yes I am" was her response, and I think I just said, "oh, okay," and I can't remember what happened after that, but I went to get the stuff out of the car that I needed and that was that. I saw her again yesterday, but she didn't see me, as I was in my office and she walked by. I just find it weird that I saw her once months before then I didn't see her again until a couple weeks ago. I guess our workplace is just that big. Heck, some other people I don't see for months there either, but I know they're there.

But surely I'll smile at another beautiful woman who walks by, and you never know what'll happen.

[jenni_xx]

I was walking to the local shops in my village last week. A girl walking towards me smiled. I smiled back. I said "hello". She said "hello" back.

I think the reason for it was simply a mistake. She thought I was someone else - someone she knew. And the rest what followed was more about instinct. Saving face so to speak.

I agree with you when you say that society is not out to get us. There will always be individuals who will be, but in the main, the majority of folk just let us pass them by.

[Jodi]

It would be this morning as I was Christmas shopping at my local mall. All were women and they returned my smile. BTW, I was shopping as a guy for guy things.

Jodi

[Jaylyn]

Very well put and a great question.... I smile and take life with a grain of salt most of the time. If not my wife will remind me of how grouchy I can become. She is always telling me that people are about as happy as they want to be and when trouble comes our way it is only as bad as want to make it. I hate it when she makes so much sense cause usually it is directed at me. She has made my life much more enjoyable by always being cheerful. Sometimes just makes me wanna puke..... Lol really she is a blessing to me. I'm smiling as I write this about her...

[Bria]

Last nite I was checking out at the cash register at Target with two pairs of panty hose and one leggings, Smiled at the cashier, we talked about how cold it had gotten since she came to work at 11:00 AM. Of course smilled at the wife last nite and this morning, smiled at all of the folks at work and said "good morning". I often smile and say good morning/afternoon/etc when meeting strangers on the sidewalk or in a building, It only seems right, guess I was brought up that way!! Hugs Bria

[Julie Gaum]

Good thread. Thinking about that act and the response the other day. For years while walking past a woman (for some reason men seldom smiled at me) I would avoid looking directly at her and hence, never smiled. If I did happen to look for some reason they always did smile and I did always smile back. However, recently
en femme I made a point of looking and smiling at every women and also at men --- both genders knew for sure it was only to be neighborly and both genders smiled back. I seems to be a gender thing, that is, most women will smile when passing by. Wonder why. Nicer than men?
Julie

[Desirae]

I just wanted to make a comment about the OPs statement, "Society is NOT out to get us or "hurt our feelings" and the sooner one understands that, the less stressful being different will become."

That's not exactly true. Although I believe the vast majority of people aren't out to get us or cause harm, and are most likely too busy with their own life and their own problems to even give a much pause to us, there are some bad apples that out there that look to cause us humiliation, or even worse, harm. I watch GayUSA every week and they usually have more than one story about a TG person who was either assaulted or murdered somewhere in this country. Most of the stories AREN'T about a MTF TG gurl who "duped" some guy over her biological gender resulting in the guy becoming enraged and beating the gurl or worse. No, most are about MTF TG gurls who were just going about their legitimate business and were singled out by guys or a group of guys just because of who they are. Some people are out to hurt our feelings or worse in some cases. A smile is fairly benign, even a sarcastic or "derogatory" smile. But, there are plenty of horror stories still occurring to us in this country which show no real signs of letting up any time soon. To be honest, I don't know if its ever going to completely stop. All the laws in the world aren't going to stop hate.

[Lorileah]

last night...not easy to do when you had to drive an hour to a place that was 25 minutes away when the temp isn't 6 below :)

[carhill2mn]

The last time was two days ago when I was at the mall, Target and the grocery store. Many more women (and a few men) smile at me when I am en femme vs. en homme. Women tend to smile much more than men do.

[Vanessa5]

As of late I smile at everyone. Just seems to make life fun.

[julia marie]

Since I've put more focus on dressing I've noticed smiles more than ever, and it's refreshing. In watching how women act and interact (so I could learn how to behave en femme) I realized that women seem to naturally smile at other women, including total strangers. One factor behind that, I think, is the ease with which so many women make eye contact. Maybe I had been looking at the wrong body parts before then. so, I've made a conscious effort in the past few years to make eye contact, smile, and share a "Have a good day" with more strangers, including sales clerks, wait staff, people you meet on the street, and toll collectors. To be honest, it feels good. and it tells me that women, or at least a lot of them, may have a bit more of a positive viewpoint on life. Lesson learned.

[AllieSF]

Every day, normally starting at my local Starbuck's. No, reason other than being nice to people and enjoying people being nice to me.

[Rogina B]

I am riding a good wave,I am happy,and I smile...a good girly smile with my top teeth showing! lol Life is way too short to not enjoy the great parts of living...

[JamieQ]

My smile is my "Hi' alot responding to people when out enfemme. I do have a pretty good female sounding "Hi' that I also use some.

In guy mode my problem is that I lived in a society and still have alot of contact with members of that society that raised their eyebrows as a way of expressing "Hi'. I am so used to it that I catch myself doing that all the time and immediately afterwards ask myself why the heck I did that. It means something totally different here...and to top it off it always seems like its a GG...

In these small rural southern towns its almost an oddity for someone not to say "Hi' when passing by...

[KaceyR]

That's one of the things I need to work on in any state M or F..
I have always been bad at really watching others or being in public and doing any smiling to others or saying hi.
(Heck..probably why I've been single all my life but anyways... )
The ol' keep head down and ignore has just been too much of a constant.

I grew up in SW MI, (now of course in SE) but was always amazed when I'd take vacations down south to relatives in KY, how friendlier things were. Along with that time (70's and 80's) the aunt and uncle lived out more rural state-road which was busier and had a few 'little stores' on it scattered around. The house was just across from one of these.

So it was frequent that my uncle,grandpa,and I would end up over there sitting, chatting, drinking sprites or RC colas (back before corn sugars :) ) and just enjoy the non-busy times. Of course we'd greet the various people that came in and it was great (whether people were known or not). Quite literally, I can't remember seeing my uncle without a smile. I'm sure they're probably were harder times, but it just was his nature to appreciate people, be friendly and helpful to all. As long as you didn't do him wrong, you could rely on him for any help with anything.

All of this was probably just due to upbringing and the fact of the rural lifestyle. And I wish I could have bottled up that feeling and successfully brought it up north. With the city attitudes,and such it needs more smiles.

Always funny to note... Given my empathic nature and all, by 7-10 days down there I'd gain a good accent talking too... :D

Miss those times..

[Teddie]

Well, my wife and I smile at each other all the time. And, I thik it's just because . . .

Also, I've had women smile at me, for no apparent reason, when I've been out as my male self, and of course I return the smile. Why do the women smle at my? I'm not sure, but maybe I'm a a good looking old fart. ;-)

[bridget thronton]

I give smiles and return them - regardless of what I am wearing

[linda allen]

There are times and places where a smile is acceptable and times and places where it is not. Standing at a urinal, I would not smile at the guy at the adjacent urinal.

Same for some parts of town. There are areas where it's not even safe to make eye contact. There are also situations where if you smile at a woman "her man" is likely to confront you. That happened to me once, I held the door for a lady leaving a bar (long, long ago). Her date wanted to fight me over it.

It would be nice if everyone smiled at everyone else but it's not going to happen.

[Karen kc]

Just this morning at RoFo, got a cup of 30 weight headed out and held the door for an elderly gentleman, smiled and said good mornin,in a low grumpy voice the fellow said "yeah right". I smiled again

[Dana M]

Today as I was trying to cheer up my student before she took a test. I do what I can to boost my students confidence in themselves.

[kimdl93]

I know exactly where and when. Tuesday night I went shopping, with stops at Payless, Penney's and Walgreens. I made eye contact with SAs and other customers in each store, and made it a point to respond with what I hope was friendly smile.

[Lucy_Bella]

If you are "miserable", at least at times, because you are a CD of some sort, chances are good... that your biggest enemy is as close as the nearest mirror.

Yulp, That's me ... Except I do not venture out I stay in my home ..

[Jaymees22]

Yes, I enjoy getting other people to smile back at me. I don't know why but it seems to be happening more lately, maybe I'm just getting goofier looking with age. Jaymee

[Stephanie47]

I smile and nod daily. I make eye contact with everybody who passes my way. Many times I say hello. You'd be surprised as to the number of people who do exchange pleasantries. I grew up in New York where everyone was in a hurry. If you gave them a glance, they'd think you had some motive.

Where I've lived for the last 35 years everyone has the time to nod and acknowledge the other's existence. Such pleasantries may be coming to an end with all the people walking and texting.

[Alice B]

I smile at and to people all the time. It is my basic make up and it does not matter if I'm in male or female mode. I feel a smile goes a long way.