__SMILE

Have you ever just watched people? You see them go through their daily lives trying to figure out what their purpose in life is. I was always raised to help the little guy. In elementary school there was a boy called David.

David was a nice kid but everyone shunned him because he didn’t have much money, and he “smelled funny”. My family was friends with his but at school, it was different. I couldn’t be seen with him. What would people think? I didn’t want people to hate me so I just shrugged him off, only occasionally taking the time to say hello.

One day at recess, nobody would sit on the horse on the springs and when I asked why they told me it was because David had sat there. I saw him sitting all alone but didn’t go over. I simply said, “Yeah, he smells funny.” And walked away like he was nothing.

That night I cried myself to sleep. I knew what I had done was wrong so the next day at recess I walked right over to the elephant that was sitting next to the pony, where David was, and sat down. When he turned to me I simply smiled and said, “Hi David, is it okay if I sit here?”

Ever since I have thrown away the desire to be popular, I know that some of the best people you could ever meet were the ones you never went and sat by. So ignore what others may say and bring some joy to another’s face. A smile can make a world of difference to a troubled soul.