Sourire Une Anthropologie de l'Enigmatique by David Le Breton

 It was 4 o'clock. I could not sleep so I went downstairs and I switched on my smartphone. Surfing several pages, including the one of L'Editions Métailié, I have  been attracted by a book: Sourire Une Anthropologie de l'Enigmatique

by David Le Breton. I sent them an e-mail immediately, because for more than 23 years I haven't had a smile, I haven't been normal as all the other people are, and I suffered emotionally, psychologically, physically and socially in a terrible way. I am fixing this problem: not having a smile has been a real torture, trust me when I tell you that.

In this essay, written wonderfully well, in a trip through literature and cinema, anedocts,  religion, beautiful encounters, children and much more you will "meet" a lot of different...smiles and the meaning of smiles in our societies.

A smile is the simplest gesture that our face does, putting in movement eyes, mouth, nose, eyes, forehead, and the entire body: smiling is the emanation of a body, the passport of our soul.

Smiles can be crucials in our existence but also when we pass away.

Coppi and Bartali is an example of the cruciality of a smile. Bartali, more serious and less easy going than the first one, when understood that he would have lost and maybe his time as cyclist was over, simply... smiled.

The second one is the smile left by a dead person.

There was once a clown in a  circus. He really enjoyed to entertain people but once he fell sick; they found someone else for that evening: that guy had had a wonderful success. The clown understood that he wouldn't never had that success, deciding to leave the circus. As a vagabond, during a night in a park, was killed by a police officer because this one thought that was a dangerous criminal: he discovered on his face a beautiful and sunny smile.

But...when we smile? We smile continuously: when we meet someone it is maybe the first thing that we do. We do that at work, in company of friends, in family. Look for example at a vendor, merchant or owner of a store. He/she will always welcome his/her customer with a beautiful smile, inviting him to appreciate first of all who is in front of them and later, their products.

As also writes Le Breton "Dans nos sociétées surtout, sourire est un ingrédient nécessaire aux rites d'entrée ou de sortie d'une interaction, une modalité minimale de consécration de l'autre et de consécration de soi par l'autre" in our societies in particualr, smiling is an indispensible ingredient and a sort of ritual of entrance or vice versa during an interaction, it's a modality of consacration of the other and of consacration of ourselves for the others.

Smiles are different also in several part of the world: in countries less developed than our western world, where there is more poverty, people are immensely happy; they can be elderly, young ones, or adults; they will offer you the best and warmest smiles you have ever seen in this world.

There are also the smiles of criminals: let's remember in Oslo the guy who killed wagons of people: he was happy and cheerful while he did it.

More a person will smile and more will be accepted in the society: when we search for an information, or for a street, if we meet someone joyous and smiling the encounter will be more satisfying. 

Illness changes the face and smile of a person: let's imagine someone who is gradually losing the mental cognitions. The smile will be vague, because he won't never understand why he should smile: why his smile was once important: he has forgotten who had been happy because had received one of his smiles: a person affected by Alzheimer lives in an unrecognizable place where the smile is empty by its most powerful significance: making happy and cheerful other people.

It is terrible the advent of Covid because  we see just the forehead and eyes of our neighbors, colleagues, or friends: covered by masks, smile, teeth, mouth, nose disappear: we are like phantoms and what remains for trying to understand a smile, adds the author, is the voice.

Smile incarnates in an individual all his history whithin a particular context and the description of a smile, writes the author, if we involve muscles and other nervous functions taken in consideration is a kind of autopsy that neutralize the most intimate experience of the individual.

Truth or fakeness in a smile is another important point, like also the intimate difference between smiling and laughing; similars but at the same time pretty different states of... mind. 

Another point of view taken in consideration are smiles in spirituality, in particular the Asiatic ones: Shiva and other gods, remarking the beauty of the wonderful smile of Buddha. It incarnates promise, tranquillity, serenity. 

Laughing for catholics is not beauty: but a smile is appreciated because symbol of spirituality.

Yes: not having a smile as remarks in the final chapter the author, is a real mutilation. 

I want to tell you my experience. 

In my case it happened because a dentist put wrongly a permanent brace when I was 21 years that blocked the right mandibular tendon. I loved to smile, in particular when little. I loved smiling in the american way and I was so sunny in that old pictures, when I was 10 years. I was happy and normal.

Then, when the smile was modified at the age of 12 or so, by a dentist not too competent started the first crucifixion because I couldn't recognize the old Anna Maria that I was. I became serious in pictures taken. The smile was over.

Then I only returned by a dentist when I was 21 years. I wanted to fix my smile, that unfortunately wasn't beauty at all. Then, the blockage and the horror.

Per 23 years I fought, for trying to see how I could resolve this problem, setting myself free. But, strangely I found only closed doors. Per years.

For the rest I took great care of my teeth. Just...I wanted to return to be normal, to see myself normal and to live a normal existence. Sometimes, I am a journalist, I spotted young people sat outside the bar, all happy, and cheerful, when I went at the town council thinking that that destiny wouldn't never being my destiny. "Look, how relaxed and happy they are." They were normals, they could smile, they could interact well with others. I couldn't. 

It was as if I hadn't to be happy. If I hadn't to live a decent life. You can't understand dear reader, what I haven't thought during that generation of deformity. 

It has been psychologically devastating.

Then, something started to change, was it that gentle wind? and I met along my way, years ago a lot of people who wanted to set me free in a way or in another and these good influences helped me a lot. 

One day my mother experienced a problem with her denture, I brought her by her dentist and there, she told him: look how ugly my daughter is on the mouth. I replied that I was taking great care of my teeth just it was impossible to resolve the problem of the blockage of the mandibular tendon. Mr. Giuseppe Camponovo, the dentist said me: But yes! We can do that! We have a specialist of Smile affording here every month. May I take an appointment?

Free? Free? Free? I don't want to lose any other time!!!!! Yessss!!!!!!

Now, when I look at my face, after 13 months of bite, 13 month of permanent brace and another year or more of permanent brace waiting for me, I still live it with incredulity and a state of wonder. I still can't believe that this miracle is happening, and that I can return to see myself as I was once. I am grateful to Valerio Giansiracusa and mr.Camponovo for the work done.

Said that, this book is inspiring and engaging. David Le Breton offers to his reader a powerful, beautiful and sunny, friendly, smiling essay!  

Highly recommended book.

I thank Editions Métailié for the physical copy of Sourise.

Anna Maria Polidori