💡
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c/behind-the-smile•henryp40henryp40•2mo ago

Saw a 'Happy Hour' sign at a bar in Portland last night that felt like a lie.

The bartender was smiling while mixing drinks, but I watched him for 20 minutes and his eyes looked completely empty, like he was just going through the motions while everyone around him laughed.
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4 Comments
karenh56
karenh562mo ago
It's the smile that doesn't reach the eyes, that's the real giveaway. You can fake the mouth but not the rest of the face.
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kim.jake
kim.jake2mo ago
My mom had that exact kind of smile at my cousin's wedding last year. You could tell she was just going through the motions for the photos. It's a lonely feeling to spot.
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michael669
michael6692mo ago
Actually, it's more the muscles around the eyes that are tough to fake. The mouth can look right, but those eye crinkles are the real tell.
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parkerbrown
Yikes, that's rough. Really hits you right in the gut when you realize someone you love is just faking it like that. Hope your mom is doing alright these days.
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