The Power of a Smile

The number one way to ruin my day is when I lose anything.

And if you ask my roommate, that happens way too often. 

So the day I realized that I had lost my school ID card for the fifteenth time, my mood was less than sunny.
This ID card is what swipes students into just about any building, acts as an on campus debit card, and grants me luxuries such as laundry and food.
Essentially, it is hard to exist an hour in college without your card.
So, thank you capitalistic society, my school exploits that demand and charges $20 for a replacement card.

"This is golden. Nice work.
That should cover our bonuses for at least another five years."

$20. In college world that is at least 4 meals or 6 chai lattes or 10 loads of laundry. Let's be honest, the cost of the plastic, printing, and hard labor of pushing the print button probably costs $2 at most.
So why ON EARTH does the university charge such steep prices?


It's a conspiracy.


The college gods know we are going lose our cards. They sit around that stupid glasstop conference table and negotiate how exactly they can squeeze every last cent out of our porky privileged undergraduate fingers before we walk across the stage at graduation.

Anyways. I lost my card and I was bitter.

So I sauntered into the card office, hungry because I couldn't swipe for my breakfast, and observed the shiny plaque one the wall that my previous three replacement cards had probably paid for. I approached the receptionist and tried to put on my "I'm interacting with a service person" face. 

She smiled at me.
I smiled back. I explained I had lost my card.
She put on a face, 

"Couldn't make it until the end of the year?" Do people who are stealing your money make jokes? 

I laughed, "Nope, apparently not." I can banter with the best of them. 

She took my picture.

"So what are you doing for the summer, sweetie?" Sweetie?  

I told her. My smile wasn't quite as forced.

"Do you work here over the summer?" I asked her, maybe she isn't so bad.
"Yep, but it's slow."
"I bet."

It was the moment. This was where she asked me if I wanted to pay cash or from the debit system through the school. The conspiracy was in the works.

Pictures of people winking
 are a little creepy.

"Well, have a nice day." She replied, standing up to walk away, with a wink.

What?!

My card was free. I could now freely eat food and do laundry. I could even get into my dorm room. 

And my $20 was in my pocket.

I thought through the interaction. Why did she do that? What could have possessed her? 

I smiled and was nice.

She probably sat behind that desk day in and day out tired of crabby students walking in because they had lost something, even though she had nothing to do with. 

It's nice to know that not everyone is in on the conspiracy. She may not even know about it.

It's nice to know that there are people who appreciate genuine people and even do their own part to brighten someones day. She had definitely brightened mine.

It's definitely a good reminder to always keep on a bright face, because often I take it out on people who have absolutely nothing to do with my bad day. It's also a reminder to work to brighten someone else's day, they may just need it.

So now I think I am going to take my $20 and go find a chai latte.