Fighting gravity, one smile at a time

Looking at my aging face in the mirror I see that my mouth is fighting a losing battle with gravity. Every year the corners turn down a bit more. I don't like looking at that face and it's not because it's an old face. It just isn't appealing.

Bobbi's the same age as I am (actually six months older) but she doesn't show the effects the way that I do. But when I look at her face she's usually smiling, and when I look at myself I'm usually self-referentially frowning at the way that I look.

"You look handsome when you smile," she says to me when I tell her how beautiful she is, and how displeased I am with my own appearance. So I look in the mirror and try smiling. It makes a big difference. The marionette lines around my mouth take on a different meaning when the corners of my mouth aren't turned down. The wrinkles around my eyes give the appearance of the genuine, Duchenne smile, even when my smile is a bit studied.

Now all I've got to do is remember to smile.

Related articles

• 7 Reasons Why Smiling is Good for You