A Smile

The world is a beautiful place, if you get the chance to experience it. There are many opportunities to be had, if you're not trapped.

For those of us that are trapped, there seems to be no way out. The darkness encompasses us, surrounds us in a void that seems to go on forever. There seems to be no hope, no possible way to see the light. That is, until I saw it.

My name is Eugene and I saw the light. I saw the beakon of hope, the way out, and I followed it. Not only did I follow it, but I helped others get to it too. I helped others escape this seemingly inescapable darkness that trapped our souls.

The darkness, so black, reveals nothing, no exit or escape. It contains no warmth or comfort. It offers only solitude. I lived there for as long as I can remember, not knowing how to leave. There were other people there, but it was hopeless to talk to them. We were stuck in this prison of our own sorrow. There were no feelings of comfort or safety. It was like a giant tsunami wave repeatedly thrashing us around, choking us under its waters of gloom.

I was restless, I wanted to badly to feel the sun upon my pale skin. I wanted so badly to feel a smile on my face. I fought and fought, but to no avail because no matter how close I got, the darkness sucked me back in. It caged me behind cold, solid bars of steel. It left me alone in a cold jail cell, without a key.

But I was determined. I saw glimpses of the outside world and I desired nothing more than to experience it. I saw people walking and laughing. I saw people hugging and kissing. I saw what the prisoners and I wanted so badly. I would occasionally feel a slight warmth from the people out there and I constantly yearned for more.

So every night, before I slipped into a restless sleep, I tried a smile. At first it was nothing more than a joke, a simple action just to humor myself, but soon it grew into something more and I began to smile everywhere. When I was alone, I smiled. When I saw another trapped soul I smiled, and they smiled back. And in that instance where they smiled, a flash of hope and happiness darted through their eyes. The light we all so desperately longed for, that way out of this void, was there in that smile.

So more and more I smiled, encouraging others to smile too. Sometimes I even laughed. The foreign sound echoed through the inky prison, and everyone around heard it. They were curious so they followed the sound. They followed it right to me, and that's when they could see. These lonely people saw the glimmer of sunshine twinkle in my eyes as I laughed, and slowly, hesitantly, they began to laugh as well. Soon the darkness, the prison of our own despair and loneliness, was bright. All around us was the daylight. All around us was the beauty of this world. Flowers were blooming. Smells of the world rushed at us with a joyous dance. Sights we've never seen before blessed our eyes. We were free!

And it all started with me simply smiling. A simple smiling to brighten a day. The smile created more smiles and people followed each other to joy. People found a way out of the prison that only restrained us from opportunities and happiness. This simple smile turned feelings from numb and empty to excited, passionate, and merry. The smiles changed people forever. These people who were once trapped, were free to go out in the world and be the very best they could be. They were free to be themselves without the worry of the darkness chaining them back.

The world is nothing but an empty shadow if it weren't for joy. Joy gives people a reason to fight and a reason to live. So everywhere I go, I make sure to smile, because that one sincere smile can lead others to find a happy heart.