General News
8 March, 2026
Smily with Sally: Smiles between strangers
This week Sally talks about the power of a smile between strangers, especially if one of those people is not used to receiving a smile from a stranger.
"Most people don’t stop to talk, because they assume I must be using drugs!"
This comment met me as I walked through a local park recently.
I gave a huge smile and hello to a stranger and received a big smile and hello back, along with “most people don’t do that.”
What resulted was a discussion about stigma and judgment, among many other things.
“The way I look, people judge me,” I was told.
How often do you walk past someone and make a judgment?
If they’re wearing old clothes, they must be poor. If their teeth are not in good health, they must be using drugs.
Does that have an impact on how you treat them as a person?
Do you ignore them, cross over the road, or pretend they’re invisible, or do you greet them like you’d greet anyone else?
I usually have a few smile cards in my pocket to randomly give to people.
They have a smile on one side, and the words “your smile can change the world” on the other.
I gave this person one of my smile cards and said how their smile really had made my day better.
They said it was great, but also needed the words 'and don’t be quick to judge!'
This person had faced judgment from so many people and had seen other beautiful people judged too.
They’d seen the impact of this and wanted this to change.
Why wouldn’t we say hello and smile to everyone anyway, no matter the background?
I know I have had amazing discussions with strangers with the most fascinating stories and dreams.
Were they using drugs, unemployed, employed, have an expensive car, or no car at all, I don’t really know because it didn’t really matter.
What mattered was that we smiled at each other, and that opened the door to connection.
As we parted, this person held up the smile card, said “thank you” with a big, beautiful smile, and said, “Remember next time you get these printed, you need to add the words' and don’t be quick to judge!”
Everybody’s smile can change the world.
Who are you missing out on connecting with?
Your challenge this week is to smile and say hello to someone you wouldn’t usually and notice the reaction. How do you feel, and how do you think they felt?
Read More: Horsham