What Makes You Smile?

What puts an involuntary smile on your face, or gives you joy no matter how down you are?

For me, it’s:
[ul]
[li]the title theme to The Great Escape. (I’m not especially an Elmer Bernstein fan, but this just works.)[/li][li]the opening monologue in the film Adaptation.[/li][li]a clear, stary night in the mountains, where the Milky Way is clearly visible.[/li][li]Duane Allman’s slide guitar work in the extended coda in Layla.[/li][li]the opening narative in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (“Far out in the unchartered backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.”)[/li][li]Lasagna Angeli from Angeli Caffe.[/li][li]the entire film Rear Window, particularly Thelma Ritter’s lines.[/li][li]a nice roaring fire in the fireplace and a glass of Jameson.[/li][li]Porgy and Bess.[/li][li]George C. Scott’s performance in Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb.[/li][li]just about any P.G. Wodehouse short story.[/li][/ul]

What does it for you?

Stranger

In the Pink Floyd song “Us and Them” there’s a part that has people talking. They get gradually unintelligble, and then a guy says “Hey” followed by one of those I’d-give-my-left-nad-to-play-this-well sax soloes. It never fails to make me smile.

Yes, this part of the song makes me smile as well…“hey (something, something), if you give him a quick, sh-short, sharp, shove, he’ll never do it again” . . .drivels off something I can’t recall… followed by that great piano/sax bit… the whole album gives me goosebumps if I’m in the right frame of mind. And no that doesn’t mean on an acid trip. :slight_smile:

A great steak.

When my daughter says, “Thank you, daddy” in that super-sweet voice only a three-year-old has.

That first gulp of beer after a long day.

The second and third gulps as well.

Remembering some of the dumb crap my friends and I did years ago.

Thinking of when I proposed to the missus - and of our favorite vacation spot (hope we get back there soon; it’s been too bloody long.)

Another person’s smile while saying hi in passing.

Zygomaticus muscles?

Cute little children.

Though the smile is bitter-sweet.

Well-crafted, witty answers.

The sunrise
Warm sand sifting between my toes
Watching animals play
Star Wars and Star Trek
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind
Tom Robbins novels
Pizza, chocolate, and all kinds of potato
My SO
My own creativity

A good movie, book, or favorite song. Friends.

Thoughtfulness.

Alex, who sits two cubicles down. He’s always in a cheerful mood, and he says the kindest things to people - and he really means it.

This picture.

The Greatest Picture Ever.

An orgasm. :smiley:

the song “the luckiest” by the ben folds five

a kiss on the forehead

the smell of popcorn

taking part in a great performance

friends (in general)

the movie and the music of “newsies”

My own stupidity (ie, I was reading the post before mine and thinking newies, my roommate loves that movie. Then I read the poster’s name :smack: , that is my roommate)

Hearing Ruby Soho, RENT, anything by Voltaire or some other songs I can’t think of

Being at a club and hearing one of the dozen or so songs that gets everyone out onto the floor

Seeing a familar, friendly face at work

Waking up and not having to get up yet

Walking into a home and smelling freshly cooked food

Good NMR data

Little kids doing little kid things.

Really good bits of music. (Some Pink Floyd, Sarah McLachlan, etc.).

The video for Zero 7’s “In Time” (combines both of the above to tremendously great effect).

Beautiful women (so much more in the smile than anything else).

Beautiful sights (red sunset streaking through clouds that are on fire, big trees swaying in the wind as the clouds roll over).

Cheesy romantic comedies (She’s all that, Return to me). I’ll be sitting there on the couch with a goofy lame grin on my face, wiping it off whenever I realize it’s there on my face. One of my secret shames.

Yep, that did it.

[ul]
[li]Large gatherings of (non-pigeon) birds on or near the sidewalk when I’m walking around town.[/li][li]Hearing a song I used to listen to a lot after it’s been a long time. Especially if it’s on the radio.[/li][li]The end monologue of American Beauty.[/li][li]The introduction of the cast of characters in The Royal Tenenbaums.[/li][li]Pirate jokes.[/li][li]Parents being silly with their babies and toddlers.[/li]Thinking of some little thing my BF said or did in the past, or how he’d react to what’s going on around me, or just the way he smiles.[/ul]

Oh, and bad puns.

…you’d think I’d spend more time smiling, given all that stuff.