What Kind Of Person ARE You?

2011 has not been the year I was expecting to have. 2011 has been a year of many unplanned adventures.

If someone had told me that I would spend just over half the year without having a regular day job, I would have laughed.
If someone had told me I'd go on a life changing journey of self-discovery, I would have laughed.
If someone had told me I'd have a summer romance on the other side of the world like my mom and friends had told me I would, I would have laughed.
If someone had told me that I would spend more time volunteering and running charity events than working in paid roles, I would have... no... actually... that I would have believed.

So when brainstorming what I wanted to do for my birthday this year, I decided that I wanted to do a bunch of random acts of kindness and invite others to join me. I told my Mom that I was going to do a 'Smile Corner' - get some friends, stand on the corners of an intersections holding big signs that say "Smile" or "Smile Please" or "It's My Birthday - Give Me A Smile" - and Mom just told me that I was a bit strange.

Later that day, Mom comes home and tells me that one of the girls who lives on our street was on the phone in her front yard (gotta love bad reception in the house at a time like this) in the middle of a very emotional breakup. She asked if I would make a sign that asked "Do You Need A Hug?" and go out and be there for the young lady. I rushed around to find a piece of paper and a texta, made the sign and ran outside. The girl had already gone back into her house. Sigh. Oh well - it is the thought that counts right?

Comparing the two situations made me curious though. Why would my mother find me wanting to make strangers in traffic smile strange, but know that I would happily leap to the hugging aid of a neighbour (whom I have never met) in distress? So I asked her - and she said its because hugging someone in need is intrinsically human, and making people smile is more superficial. On some level I agree with her, but it made me reflect on the kind of person I am.

I am the kind of person who lives to make others smile. Given the opportunity to have a more profound impact on someone than just making them smile, of course I would take it. I often do. But I also do not take the small stuff for granted. If all I can do for a person is put a smile on their face, however fleeting, then I am going to do it, because every smile counts.