In my family, we call that "conjuring up." Sometimes, as in the instances above, it works beautifully, making you feel like the whole world is synchronous and perfect. Other times -- like when my mother off-handedly mentioned a brother's wackadoodle ex-girlfriend and two days later she coincidentally ran into her at the same hospital in the same city where my brother told no one he was staying -- it is awkward, strange, and an irritating reminder of how that same ex-girlfriend made off with all of my brother's CDs.
Sometimes, all we have to do, for better or worse, is mention something into existence. Or rather, speak it into more prominent existence. Putting wackadoodle ex-girlfriends aside for a moment (please...far, far aside), it is fascinating to consider how much good stuff we can invite in if we talk up the positive. What if we chose to conjure up happiness?
This article, "21 Reasons to Smile" from the Chicago Tribune makes me want to try. It features artist Ruth Kaiser of the Spontaneous Smiley Project, a photographer who effervescently collects photos of smiles found in unexpected places.
Kaiser, who is 50 and a Californian, says, "It's about paying attention. Inadvertently, life ends up going by in an unnoticed state. If you're not in such a big hurry, now you have this happy thing that took 30 seconds."
Her kind of conjuring up is clearly intentional. And the Trib's paid it forward even more by adding a gallery of 21 shots of their own to the article. Their smileys are found in cigarette butts, macaroni and cheese, tree bark, potato chips, and other places that would otherwise be concealed or ignored. Some are obvious, some are subtle. Regardless, someone (with a camera) found them.
I loved looking at each and every photo. And not surprisingly, they all made me smile. What I'm expecting -- and hoping -- will happen is that these are just the first "hidden" smiles I will encounter as I make my way through the next few days in my city. How can all these smiles not breed more smiles?
Take a look and see for yourself. Did seeing those smiles make you feel happy? Will it conjure up more smiles in your backyard, cereal bowl, or somewhere else you least expect it?
You know what else makes you happy?
[photo credit: Chicago Tribune / Handout / March 30, 2009]
