Short clips of incidents back in living overseas as a teacher of English as a Second Language:
1.) glad I smiled at someone I did not know -who thanked me, and made me grateful to be alive, back in 2005. And also today. &
2.) People keep telling me I have a “clean heart” or that I “radiate decency” or that I am “idealistic.” I would like to hope that these are good things… ??
Less short version of the story as it has been updated in a later post in 2022:
Smyrna, smile1, nod1, learn Turkish…
turn1
Everyone should have someone to talk with who really ‘gets’ them.
On the uselessness of being beautiful: see the post linked to above with smile 1 and nod1…
Shira
24 November, 12015 HE
19.2.12016 edit via old LJ post from 2008-11-28 00:19:00
“kalbin temizmis”
“Feeling very grateful recalling a friend telling me ‘my heart must be pure’ to have found her just when I needed her, to help another friend with a CV.
Read, Write, Dream, Teach !
ShiraDest
originally posted on 19 February, 12016 HE
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*Smile* I’ve seen many definitions of “beautiful” in my years and though I hold no dictionary, I do hold with the thought that people who give of themselves honestly, just as you described, possess a beauty unequalled by any cosmetics, procedures, and/or camera angles or tricks photographers and models can use.
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Halleluyah!! Amen to that! (and my Turkish coworkers were on my case Every Single Day telling me to wear Makeup!!)
Thank you! 🙂
Shira, 1December 12015 HE
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I’m wholly unfamiliar with Turkish culture but I do know that minimal makeup can enhance natural features. Conversely, no makeup will cover natural ugliness. The ugliness in question is internal reflecting out. I don’t believe Loreal or Cover Girl makes a product for that. 🙂 Anyone who reads you should know there is natural beauty reflecting out into the world. For the record, Mother Theresa is another natural beauty.
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Thank you! 🙂
In Izmir/Istanbul and I suppose Ankara, the big cities, apparently it is not considered professional to go without makeup.
The word “Utopic” kept coming back with Turks,
(“Why do you keep using that word, I do not think it means what…”)
Ok, not just them, but I am stubbornly refusing to change! I am not a Mother Theresa, but I can try to add a little bit of kindness to this world, anyway!
🙂
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Thank you, again, Wildfire!
Shira
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I see. Well, you know who you are. You have the courage of your convictions, and in my mind, that is true beauty.
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Interesting. Thank you -ironically, it was in Turkey that everyone kept asking me why I didn’t seem to know who I was (I was starting to change my name). And until just now, (especially at Annapolis, where they kept telling me I had the courage of my convictions, just as I was being kicked out!), I have always seemed on the wrong side of the fence.
So, Thank You, Very much for this comment.
Maybe now I can stop worrying about my identity, and start working on having the confidence in my conviction that all kind human beings are truely beautiful. I am not the kindest person I know, but I can work on being more kind each day.
Thanks for your kindness, WildFire.
Keep burning brightly,
Shira
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My pleasure, Shira. Keep being you and the confidence will come while you listen to all, weigh the options, and do what your beautiful inner-voice leads you to do. P.S. I’m glad you shared that smile here for the world to see. We are all the better for warming ourselves in the glow of a friendly smile in a world that can, on occasion, be very cold. Write on!
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Write on!
and, Thanks.
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And on belonging, still learning from when I was in Izmir, over 10 years ago:
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Reblogged this on ShiraDest Community Cooperation Blog and commented:
Two people now have told me that this shared smile was indeed a contribution to society, even though no monetary exchange and no formal recognition was involved. Time to readjust my thinking on what makes a contribution to society, and my ability to contribute (more compassion for self and others allows greater contribution)… Read,
Write,
Dream,
Teach !
ShiraDest
19th of August, 12016 HE
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So many thanks to everyone who enjoyed, Liked, or commented on this post. You all made my day.
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I still remember people who treated me as a human being–smiled or said something rather than dismissing me out of hand because I was not who they wanted to see.
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Thank you, Quips: this is the very thing that I think we need to try to do more of, to see the person standing before us, rather than rushing by.
Of course, most places where I greet strangers, simply with a nod of the head or a smile, they look at me as if I’m from Mars, or worse, I might be trying to sell them something! 🙂
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