The first sight of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.

- Chicago Tribune

I am sure that we all remember all the times that our moms yelled at us to turn the volume down cause everyone in the house are not able to listen to each other. 

My mom used to fight with me all the time because I just thought that it is not the same if you listen to music at a lower volume; it will not give the same effect. The eighties were quite crazy in this regard and I remember telling mom that Tina Turner was actually related to me and that’s why I feel so attached to her, and mom used to call me "majnooneh"

I can't help but smile when I think of those good old days. I was never able to study unless I was listening to music or watching TV. Me and my friends; we all had collections of posters and photos of our favorite singers, but we did not dare hang them in the rooms as that was just too taboo J

I really don’t remember when the first sign of maturity appeared with me, because I got so tied up with studying and working and it became of minor importance that I listen to loud music. Of course I still listen to music; but not too loud!

Actually; I give my sisters at home a hard time about this, asking them to turn it down, but naturally; they never listen to me and mom keeps laughing as they are actually getting back at me for her, so I guess it is true what they say: what goes around does actually come around.

Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl* and have wrinkles

– George Eliot, 1819-1880, English Female Novelist (pen name of Mary Ann Evans)

I was talking to one of my best friends last night, and he was telling me that if I force myself to smile; I will feel internally happy and this will reflect on everything I do or say; it will even affect those around me and they will start feeling happy as well.

Thinking about what he said; I believe there is a ring of truth to this and that it does make a difference to you and those around you if you were wearing a smile rather than a gloomy face.

We all remember the great saying that you move less muscles in your face if you smile and this translates to less wrinkles (I don’t think that cosmetic companies would appreciate what I am saying here … kidding J)

This small humanly gesture that we call a smile; it makes your face look more beautiful, yet we are so mean to ourselves and those around us by not smiling. It has become a culture in Jordan that we Jordanians do not smile, and keeping the scowl is actually "wajaha" or reflects seriousness. But who said that a mile contradicts with this? Why do we deprive ourselves from this feeling?  

So remember that after you brush your teeth, show them off by smiling even if to yourself in the mirror, and see what this does to your morale. Verify these theories of the connection between smiling and happiness; maybe these guys are right after all and we have been left out all that past time.

Don’t forget what they say: Keep smiling because you will never know who is falling in love with your smile.

*Scowl: Frown

There are two philosophies in life; one that says that luck does not exist, and the other states that everything in life is based on luck.

In all cultures; we have read and heard about luck. Poets and writers mentioned it many times and they believed that some people were born under a lucky star and that made their lives easier and more comfortable.

Let's face it; if you look around you or scan the people that you know; you will realize that there are some people who did not have to struggle for anything; life just came to them as simple as that. So what is it? Is it luck? or attitude? or luck? :)

This morning; the first thing that came to my mind is this proverb. I don't know why; but maybe I am just not feeling lucky today, or as they say: I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but then I remembered; my bed has only one side.

There must be a reason why this became a proverb the Russians inherited and spread it to other cultulers, and there must be a ring of truth to it; otherwise; its spell would have been broken ages ago.

What do you think? Does luck exist? And does it really affect our lives? Should we believe that some people are lucky and some aren't?