Resting bitch face. That's what they call it.
It can be quite inconvenient to walk about in this aspect.
People frown at you. Babies cry. Dogs and cats shy away to the end of their leash.
But that's just how my face turned out in the genetic crapshoot of life. Which is strange, since none of my family have this issue. My grandma, for example, was a town favorite. Her face, rather than repelling people, drew them in from across the street, for block after block whenever she took me along for her walks.
Last Tuesday was a day that resting bitch face really worked against me. It started off all bright and sunny, a beautiful spring day. I was delighted to think of walking downtown to the park, after grabbing some coffee, to just sit and take it all in.
Right off the bat things went awry. The clerk at Starbucks was new, so she didn't know that it was just Susie's RBF she was confronting, not some Karen in a pissed off mood. That cup of coffee tasted more like thin tea, and I'm sure my look had everything to do with it.
At the park, I saw Jim. Jim with the wavy black hair and the angular body. Jim with the steady job at the grocery store. Jim whom I had watched covertly for months from across the produce department, my nose in the melons or tomatoes or whatever happened to be piled up in front of me.
I had a smile for him, which my grandma always said put stars in my cheeks. I know that if Jim had bothered to walk by me, things would have turned out fine. But as soon as he saw me watching him come up the sidewalk, carefully timing the release of my stars, he ducked his head and cut across the grass to the street.
And then Saturday, when I went to do the shopping, as soon as I got into position behind the sweet potatoes, he was ducking out the side door for his break.
It wasn't even close to his break time!
But that's just how it is with resting bitch face.
It has been awhile since I attempted a 5-minute freewrite. There were years when I was doing this at least once a week. I think I'll be getting back to it a little more frequently: I got fired from my job and I've got nothing but time on my hands right now.
It's fair to say that the story above only started as a freewrite. I wrote for five minutes, stopped on the timer, then spent about forty minutes or so revising the hash into something readable.
Hopefully, it at least brings a smile to your day, if not a laugh.
If you'd like to see some more photos from Westport, check out my most recent photography post: Sea Lions in Westport (PhotoFeed Contest - Wildlife).
Or, since the sea lion post is mostly just sea lions: Fisherman's Boardwalk and Westport Marina: A Treasure Trove for Photography.
Have a great day!