Learning How to Smile

I’d lost count of how many drinks I had imbibed at this point. I just knew that 2 more sat in front of me at the bar and I was well past the point of rational thought. I’m pretty sure I had made a good assault on all my friends in my phone via text messaging. My inebriated self was setting up a good adventure/mystery for me to solve the next day. Nothing quite like waking up to countless answered messages from friends of which you have no idea what the question was anymore. My drunken self could be a right jerk sometimes.

I could feel myself faltering in my seat. This was rare, but I was pretty sure I was in that zone, a few sips away from a very terrible night. It takes years of practice to find this sweet spot. Countless evenings heaving over white porcelain, keeping my face cooled by the tiles on the floor. Sometimes friends would be kind enough to throw a blanket on me, most nights I was left to fend for myself. Usually the last thought passing through my head is be sure to lay on my side, don’t need to go out like countless other stupid musicians. Although their adventures usually have much harder drugs involved, not just the simple old go-to of alcohol.

Knowing I didn’t have much time left before I hit the passed out phase I decided to make a run for it. I looked at my one untouched drink and figured it would be a waste to leave it there, but knowing it would absolutely be detrimental to myself I found a friend at the bar and passed them the drink. They looked at me wide-eyed and surprised, perhaps it will come back to me one day. I said my goodbye, or whatever passed for one, I’m not sure if I was able to speak clearly at this point anymore and I walked briskly to my car.

Cleverly, I had parked on the street in the direction of my home. My keys made it into the lock of my car with little effort and I felt this would be an easy trip home. With the car started I pulled out into traffic. Reality hit me faster than I was prepared for. My vision had gone double. I was way drunker than expected. I had two choices now, drive for the center of what I could see between the extra lanes in front of me and hope for the best, or close one eye. I clamped one eye shut and got myself home within minutes, luckily I only lived a few blocks away.

The rest of the night blacked out I awoke to a phone full of return messages. ‘Great!’ I sarcastically thought to myself. I was taken aback at one message in particular:

It is best to start facing a mirror. Sitting, standing, or whatever is comfortable. Using your left cheek muscle lift the left corner of your mouth upward. Repeat on the right using your right cheek muscles. You will see now that your mouth is in a curve shape. From here you can experiment with keeping your mouth closed, opening your mouth and showing teeth, and a variety of different smile options. Work with it and really make it your own.

It was in response to my message: “I think I forgot how to smile…” After reading this I don’t think I will ever forget again, nor will I ever chance a drive like that again.

-V-