A Big Apple a Day: Kindface

At this point, everyone pretty much knows what “gayface” is. If you don’t, please see me, and I will send you some pictorial examples. Or, just look right.

But have you ever noticed “kindface”?

Kindface is a word used to describe someone with a naturally kind face. They might be evil inside (though, I can't imagine it so), but when you see them on the street you can’t help but think “Wow, that Dude looks like a really nice guy.”

In a city stuffed with Grumpy McBittersons, I have really grown to appreciate kindface. I mean – I admit! - I have meanface. And I'm pretty damn good at using it. I scowl around, hiding behind my sunglasses, doing my best Lilith impression...I do! People think I smile 24 hours a day (people, excluding Chris) and I’m not usually one to burst bubbles, but I am indeed a bitter butter. My smile may be a social butterfly, but it also loves to hibernate. I think it has peeked out 5 times in the last 26 days - and that is no exaggeration. This weather may end up doing permanent damage.

But that’s proving my point! Kindface is SO important in general, but even more so during a bleak month such as June ’09.

Chris and I jinxed each other yesterday, as we both noticed a kindface on a park bench. He had a full beard, blue, round eyes, tousled hair and was just hanging on a bench, carrying on conversation with a lady friend. That’s all. That’s all he was doing. He wasn’t helping a little old lady across the street. He wasn’t curing cancer. He wasn’t even smiling – he was talking. And yet, Chris and I both noticed him, and were both compelled – almost simultaneously – to say "That guy looked like a really nice guy".

And then we spent the next 15 minutes, musing about how refreshing it is to find kindface. Its almost like finding a 4 leaf clover. Its really hard to do - and there are fake-outs everywhere (3 leaves). But if you manage to stumble across a real one, you are really, really lucky.