After spending a few months spreading the word of World Smile Day®, we had lots of preparation to do to fulfill our plans for the day.
We decided to bake loads of Smiley Face cupcakes to hand out to the homeless people in Manchester, and also to hand out to people who just can't seem to find a smile for whatever reason. So on Thursday afternoon the marathon baking session began.
As soon as Jacy (9) finished school at 3.15, myself, Jacy and my lovely friend Les (AKA Stormin Norman) began baking the cakes. all in all it took just over 8 1/2 hours to complete, the last iced Smiley Face just happened to be finished as the clock struck midnight, what a way to start World Smile Day®!
The next morning we had an early start as we had promised Antonio some cakes to give out at the Zone cafe, which is Northwich railway Station, this is also where I teach jewellery making and volunteer as a 'Community Learning Champion'.... I love the name of where I teach, Im definitely 'in the Zone'.
We arrived there at just after 7am, just in time to cheer up some grumpies on their way to work.... great big thanks go out to Antonio for helping out :) Later that evening me & my other half (who is called Smiley LOL) packed up about 150 of the cakes and set off to manchester to raise some smiles there.
There are always lots of people hanging around up near Piccadilly Gardens so we parked up and set of on our 'smile crusade'. It was quite late when we got there, probably around 10 ish.... We where wondering what sort of response we were going to get, as when we tried to donate some cakes to homeless shelters, they couldnt accept them due to 'government regulations' because we couldnt prove what the ingredients where, so apologies to all the homeless people who rely on shelters for food, you would have got a nice smiley face cake.... the Government said you cant!!!! how flippin crap is that! So, that was the reason we decided to hand them out ourselves.
The first chappie we met had just got himself 'comfy' in a doorway in a back street near the car park, he looked liked he had been on the streets for some time, he seemed a bit surprised at the cakes, i don't think he could speak English, but we sort of got a smile from him, that could have been the closest he had got to a smile in long time.... He enjoyed his cake!
We let a few 'revelers' sample the cakes too, they all smiled too!
We spotted a man all curled up on a bench trying to keep warm, I went over to offer him a cake, it took a while before he lifted his head up.... gosh, the look in his eyes, I will never forget :( , he was very numb with alcohol by the look of it, but he looked at me and mumbled 'do you know me?' he looked very confused, then he said... "my girlfriend died" and his head went down again, I didnt really know what to say, but then a lady who looked like a very modern day 'Oliver'came over, saying, hey, can I have some of your pizza, she thought thats what we where giving away... when I showed her the cakes her face lit up... she thought they where cool, she was obviously very street wise, and she shook the mans hand and introduced herself to him, her name was Emma, she shook my hand too and thanked us for the cakes.
I felt like the man who's girlfriend had died wouldnt be feeling quite so lonely now, he had met another 'street peep'. That really set me off thinking about how people end up so down & out. This guy had probably lived a normal happy life, and then when his partner died, maybe he just couldnt cope, and ended up with no-one to turn to or talk to..... I might be wrong, but that was the feeling I got. Anyway, I couldnt get involved so we moved on and handed more cakes out.
At about midnight we got a takeaway coffee and sat at the foot of a statue with the cakes beside us, as people walked passed we offered a cake in exchange for a smile! One chappie stopped and chatted with us, curious as to why we are doing this, he was quite amazed that we had baked all these cakes ourselves and didnt want any money for them, isnt it strange how people get suspicious when we are nice to them. He asked us why, we said, because it feels good, for the people who receive them, and it feels really good to give without wanting anything in return.
And the best thing about it is, everyone smiled, even if it was only a teeny tiny bit. He gave Miles a hug and carried on on his way...a bit happier than when he had set out!
We finished handing the cakes out to hungry's, grumpies, and party animals till about 1am, we still have a few left which me & Jacy are taking to our local town centre to day.... watch out Northwich, we are gonna make you smile!!! While we were sat at the statue, I was asking myself, what has changed within me to make me want to do this, and I can pinpoint that moment now. I used to walk passed people who lived on the streets and ask for money, i used think (still do with some (& only some) street people) why don't you try and do something so people will give you money instead of just sitting and asking... try and sing, or play flute or just give people a reason to want to give.
We have a homeless guy in Northwich who sits and plays a penny whistle all day, i think that is fab as he isnt expecting money for nothing. but then on the other hand, maybe some people dont know how to, maybe 'begging' is all they know.
Anyway.... the day that changed my mind was in Barcelona last September (2009). There are some ladies who beg on the streets there, they dress all in black and are really old, and from what I witnessed get treated really badly by passers by,well I walked passed one of them and she caught my eye.. she didnt ask me for anything, she just looked at me. I looked in my pocket to see what money I had. we where really skint at the time as we had spent everything we had to get the flights to Barcelona, and the event we where attending. I had about 2 Euros left (Yikes) I knew Miles had some more, not much but I knew he had some!! I walked back to the lady and gave her what I had left, she took my hand, looked right deep into my eyes (still makes me emotional now!) and very quietly said " Thank you, Bless you" I smiled and walked away. About 30 minutes later, we walked back passed her and she recognised me, she looked right in my eyes again and she cupped her hands and put them near her mouth, she uttered 'bless you' again and then gestured the words to me in the same way you 'blow a kiss' , I had warmed her heart, and she had warmed mine. And that was the moment that I realised that I wanted to help others, it was such a warm wonderful & moving memory for me, she just had such a grateful look in her eyes. So we have a ripple effect here... all those people in Manchester who had our Smiley face cakes, received them because of the little old lady in Barcelona, I often think of her, and wish I had had more to give to her at the time.
So.... That is what what happened here in Cheshire/Manchester on World Smile Day.
I feel very happy and have been rewarded with lots of lovely smiles, for which I am very grateful for. Roll on next year ~ The Smiley Revolution :))
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