It's funny to watch people's reactions to you smile at them. That's one thing I've noticed about students here. You can tell a lot about a student by their reaction to your smile.
Maybe people do this everywhere, and I've just noticed it since I've been at Lee. But when people see someone else walking towards them, they look at everything in the world they can possibly look at to avoid eye contact until the most opportune moment.
Then, when the timing is right, when you are both passing each other, you look up and acknowledge their presence.
It's an odd system to me, but I've found myself following this unspoken rule while I've been here. If you deviate from this rule, it really throws people off.
What throws them off even more is when you smile as broadly as you can to someone you don't even know. Or, Heaven forbid, when you speak to them.
I tested this theory the other day. I was walking past a girl I had seen around but never actually met. She has one of the best senses of fashion I've ever seen, and I'm constantly jealous of her outfits.
So the other day, as we walked past each other, I looked at her until she looked up from the ground, and smiled my most friendly smile, then said, "I love your dress."
I thought she was going to fall over in shock or something.
I took her so off guard, I heard her utter an, "Um, thanks," after we had already passed each other.
It made me laugh that such a simple, friendly gesture would shock someone so much.
It also made me want to break the unspoken rule more often. Just to see people react as if the world has just been shaken and confused.
Attribution for the title: Hugh Grant in Music And Lyrics
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