Don’t you notice that as you get older, there seems to be more and more responsibilities and tasks to do? It gets to the point where we need to find ways to relieve the stress, including taking yearly vacations to start fresh again. But how much does that really help if we can’t change our mindset about things? It seems like, even those who are well-off may complain more than those who are not. As if, the more things you own, the more they own you. Some get sucked into a routine of paying for the car loan, the mortgage, or just trying to maintain a certain lifestyle. Then others may stress about dealing with family, including difficult relatives, close friends, and even significant others. And how about strangers with unpleasant attitudes we meet on the streets? They can potentially pass on their negative energy onto you if you let them. Is this a result of some sort of social overload and materialism that comes from living in urban cities? Or does this sort of thing happen in rural America as well? In any case, I’ve asked myself, how many people, including strangers, have shown me genuine happy smiles? Without being a pessimist, I would say not a great deal. At least, not compared to all the smiles I’ve experienced in poverty-striken places, so poor that they don’t have much aside from a shack to live in, a bicycle to ride, barely enough money to buy food, and a toilet without a seat. Yet, despite what some may see as deplorable, these poor kids, and adults, have shown me the best smiles I’ve ever experienced anywhere. Indeed, life is spartan in rural countrysides, where it’s rare to see tourists visit. These are the hidden gems where one can experience the simple life. As such, simple people seem content with simple things and simple living. They don’t worry about traffic jams and they don’t fuss about what to wear. Nothing is trivial. But such a simple life is not for everyone. What we can take out of this is a sense of humility and gratitude for having what we have, which includes one’s health, family and friends as well as the luxury to do most of the things we want. Those who know how to smile are those who are truly happy inside. They may not show it all the time or in public, but once in a while they do, secretly or when it matters most.