Just a Simple Smile

Friday, June 23, 2006 It is amazing the difference one nice person can make. For the very first time since I have been in Spain, a bartender actually struck up a conversation. His name was Jose Luis and we chatted between customers almost the entire trip into Madrid, in English no less. He assured me it was not my imagination – the Spanish culture, despite the fact that tourism makes up 10% of their country’s income, are not foreigner-friendly. He said they intentionally try NOT to be helpful and if you try to speak Spanish but struggle they won’t try to understand. Thank god – confirmed by a local. I was so concerned it was my attitude, that I wasn’t opening to the experience, that I was being a whiner, a complainer, an obnoxious American. No - Jose Luis, assured me. It is one of the issues he has with his fellow Spaniards. He said being nice is good for business, good for the economy, and that he personally wants people to be helpful and kind when he travels abroad so he tries to treat people the way he would like to be treated. How I love people who follow the golden rule. It has always seemed easier to me to be nice than to be mean. Life just feels better with a smile. After the crush of Seville and the failed Barcelona plans, Jose Luis gave me back my smile, just by giving me his. Today was filled with kindness. Beginning with Jose Luis on the train this morning to Omar at the electronics store who helped me find the Sony store; the young boy at Sony who called Sony for me and genuinely felt badly that they said it would not be possible for me to replace my almost-dead six-month old battery that should have lasted two years here in Europe; the sweet attendant on the train who more than made up for the bitchy one. I had tried to explain to her in Spanish how much I appreciated her smile and kindness even though I couldn’t understand what she was trying to tell me. I didn’t find out until later in the trip that she spoke fluent English (with a lovely accent actually). Poor thing thought I complained she was mean. It was the opposite; she was precious with a bright smile and genuine kindness. And then there was Nakane and Alfredo. I was so frustrated for not understanding what the sweet attendant had said that I asked in a big ‘ole obnoxious American voice if anyone spoke English or Italian and could explain to me what the hell she had said. Nakane and Alfredo both responded. We ended up chatting easily almost all the way to Barcelona - Nakane turned around in her char sitting comfortably, chatting in a lovely English with Spanish, British, and French accents mixed in. I’ve come to love listening to the sounds of different languages in people’s voices. They were both so very kind, and, I thought, would make a really cute couple. I tried to engage the conversation and then leave them to talk, first filling out postcards, then writing; starting the conversation up again when it waned. It was fun, secretly playing matchmaker. Thanks to this handful of people the next time, my view of Spain and its people was considerably softened. It is easier to decide there were lots of good people to meet and talk with, I just had bad luck meeting them. Sometimes all it takes is just a simple smile to change a person’s experience.

Life just feels better with a smile.