my "mini-golf face"

Darling Friends,

As you all know at this point, I am reading Eat Pray Love.  Amazing, amazing book, I HIGHLY recommend you read it.

I was reading a bit during my break from class today, and I find I want to share the whole book, but obviously that's unrealistic so here's another little piece for you to soak up and enjoy!  I love this part because, again, it makes me self-reflect.  I feel as though Elizabeth Gilbert and I are kindred spirits!  And I just found out that she is a Cancer, she shares my zodiac!  Interesting.

She writes:

"I have never learned how to arrange my face in that blank expression of competent invisibility that is so useful.... You know--that super-relaxed, totally-in-charge expression which makes you look like you belong there, anywhere, everywhere, even in the middle of a riot in Jakarta.  Oh, no.  When I don't know what I'm doing, I look like I don't know what I'm doing.  When I'm excited or nervous, I look excited or nervous.  And when I am lost, which is frequently, I look lost.  My face is a transparent transmitter of my every thought.   As David once put it, "You have the opposite of poker face.  You have, like... miniature golf face."

This was particularly striking to me as people often tell me that my face is easy to read, which generally makes it hard for me to hide anything!  This is probably why I am such an open book, I've relented to the understanding that my face usually tells the whole story anyway... even when it's something I REALLY don't want to share.

This was pointed out to me when I was in a class where the teacher was trying out mystery books.  I was the test-subject because I had been out of the room when she formulated the idea with the class.  A friend of mine and I had gone to the office for something and upon returning the teacher commented that she couldn't find her cell phone insinuating that someone had taken it.  When all was said and done, and she revealed the "mystery," she said to me "man, Amanda, you looked at me like 'she better not accuse me, I didn't take anything, she even so much as accuses me I'm going to march right outta that damn door,'" which was almost verbatim to what I was thinking.  I couldn't believe my face was that readable, but now I know better.  My thoughts cannot be hidden...all someone needs to do if they are curious about my feelings is look at my min-golf face!!!  This is perhaps why I never gamble.

Love Always,