Goodbye Happy Face

Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, though the pain is there. Smile, though the world is crashing. Smile, for it might ease the pain. Yes! I always smile -- be it in the office or in the classroom or even with friends on the corridors of the university. I put emoticons every after each text message I send to tell how I feel at that moment. I put emoticons especially smileys when I chat with someone on Facebook. Even  when I Plurk or Blog, I do not fail to have emoticons. I make sure that people feel comfortable when they are connected with me.

But alas! Not everyone liked what I am doing. Or let us say, it is not appropriate to be smiling at all times. You know what I mean. :) 

Later this afternoon, an organizer from the 7th Planet Company dropped by the office to get the papers used for the signature campaign for Peace in Mindanao. Sadly, the whole sheet was not filled with signatures due to the lack of resources and of course the determination to fill the paper. 

Anyhow, he received it with thanksgiving and before finally leaving the office, he gave a remark. (We have been exchanging text messages for days now, all business related, btw.) 

"Jane, the next time you send messages to people you don't know, or let us say, business related affairs, do not put emoticons on the end of the message. It should always be formal.  Well, since we are already friends, it's all right to put them there. But just a friendly tip, because we don't know what your job's gonna be in the future. You avoid using them, okay."

Though he was smiling in between those lines, I could sense a different wavelength of offense from his words. Did that mean that he did not like my friendliness? 

But don't worry sir, I will take that as a friendly tip. Thank you. From that moment on, I will always remember that.