Don't you just hate when--

[gategrrl]

Don't you just hate when anyone (especially a male) says to you, even in a well-meaning way, "Smile!" When you've already told the well-meaning friend you just woke up from a nap to find a family upset, your husband storming off to calm himself down, and your daughter hiding in her bed?

It doesn't have to be that circumstance, but I just HATE that kind of advice. "Smile! You'll feel better! You're a girl! You're supposed to smile!" That's not what my friend said, but that's the subtext of his advice. Frankly, not every personal bad-feeling moment should be covered up by a smile, no matter if you're male or female. Sometimes you SHOULD frown or be angry or whatever.

Grrr.

Comments

[jomadge.livejournal.com]

Grr, indeed!

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Is this male friend that said this married? Because all the married men I work with know better than to say something like that to an upset woman. They know they may get their head in hand over that.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

He's divorced. I guess for him his problems don't seem as bad if he smiles through them; but his comment sent me back to my high school days when boys and men were always telling me to "smile!" when I was thinking or occupied with things other than them. Drove me nuts. I hated it.

I told him I didn't feel like smiling.

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

WORD.

I can't add a thing, just yes, that, exactly.