“Turn That Frown Upside Down!”

I have had this happen.

Lost in thought. My attention dragged away by some grinning stranger/imbecile admonishing me — as if he had the right — to DO something: SMILE!

I remember slowly focusing my gaze upon him as if he were something I’d accidentally stepped in that demanded scraping off my shoe. Face frozen, he repeated his demented directive, and waited.

I countered: “Who ARE you? What do you want? WHAT do you want? What DO you want? What do YOU want? What do you WANT?” I hammered, with maddening intensity. He slowly backed away, eyes wide…