MY SMILE

I am really excited to share this story with you. It is very recent with snippets of this morning’s drive embedded! 

It is the tale of my SMILE J.

So for a while now I have driven this really flashy (yellow) car all around Lagos with the plate number SMILE J. Oh Lawd! I got too much attention from everyone from the Yellow fever guys screaming ‘SMILE!’ to the Okada (Bike) riders saying ‘sister SMILE Jna’ to young guys trying to be sharp – I do not understand why they all think that can start off a conversation in traffic! Anyway, let’s just say I have made quite an impression over the past months. 

Frankly in the beginning it felt nice getting to the office and having practically over twenty security guys calling me SMILEJ, having bus drivers say ‘SMILE for Jesus’, having the police stop me only to scream SMILEJ! Chai! it got a bit too much o. It is really funny the impact such a little item can cause. 

I used to see Lagosians differently… I mean, we were all angry drivers hustling to get somewhere but having people (both literate and illiterate)  take time out of their ‘hustle waka’ to grin wide and smile really changed my perspective. Truly, everyone just wants to be happy isn’t it? ‘In pursuit of Happiness right?' Amidst the economy, the scorching sun, the chaos of Lagos roads… it really got me.

Anyway, I recently changed my plate number - an Olori (Queen) doesn’t need that kinda attention as I have way too much of that already hehe! But yes, I took that bold step and got it changed and you know what? No one wants to forget my SMILEJ! On my way to work this morning, I saw a police man who to took time out  to yell ‘SMILEJ’ once he saw my car! Of course I put on my best smile and wove back! Why am I excited? I had made an imprint on him! The same thing happened with two random (I do not know them AT ALL) guys very close to my office… one actually said ‘my smile’ I’m like ‘WHAT th*&*%^?! while the other dude noticed and shouted ‘smile kilode?! I know that all the security guys will still call me that beautiful word SMILE!

Why am I sharing this? Experiencing this has taught me that little things really do go a long way. Do not wait for the perfect moment, the perfect gift or the perfect person, just go ahead and make someone happy and...