like the violin

The "I only hear the compliments" strategy I have been using since Friday is working like magic. I may have been smiling constantly since, the joy in the music is back, everything is back. I can't believe it was that easy. (Maybe it wasn't easy; maybe it took me all these years to get here. Maybe it will go away. I don't care. I am smiling, now.)

And I have been giving more compliments, too! Today in the cafeteria I saw a guy who I take a few classes with (but we haven't really spoken, and I only know his name, instrument and genre (isn't it typical ... at my school, instrument and genre is more important to some than your name)). And I could hardly look away! He has cut his hair and become insanely good-looking, the difference was quite stunning. Not that he was ugly before, of course, but it was just ... something. Well, so I went up to him and told him that, and he looked as though he would melt when he said thank you! That was so nice.

Then, when at the grocery store, I told the woman behind the counter that I loved her hair (she had light horizontal stripes in it on one side, it was great). And she sort of stopped for a moment and then smiled and said "that made me happy!". "I'm glad it did", I said.

And then tonight I was down on the fourth floor to ask for some explanations to things that made me curious (such as why do we have different seasons). One of the guys who explained weren't there when we looked at stars on Saturday, so I hadn't met him before, and before I could stop myself I had said "you have such a beautiful speaking voice!". He did look at me as though I was a bit crazy, but then he smiled, and asked what I meant. "It's very melodic", I said, "very comfortable to listen to". (And I know that may have been a weird compliment, but for someone like me who listen to people's voices a lot, a nice, freely used, melodic speaking voice without tension (especially a male voice, I often find them softer) is like milk and honey. And his was truly gorgeous, very smoothe. I immediately start wondering if he sings and what that sounds like).

And it was so easy, for me. Talk about nothing to lose and everything to win. Oh, how I love smiling.