Facial Expression and Its Importance

What you see is sometimes more important than what you hear. When talking to a person, what I see from the person’s face and the gestures greatly influence the way I appreciate his/her message. That is one important thing I look to find the person’s sincerity. From simple clear reflection on the eyes, I know I could feel it.

During my recent travel to a vacation island, I thought the pump boat would flip over. The waves were like vicious beasts as we cross the blue sea. I was relieved when I learned that it was only a 10-minute travel. If it lasted for at least 1 hour bouncing and gripping on the wooden seats of the boat, perhaps I would go throw my stomach out.

I was 1 of the 8 passengers on the boat and there were only 3 crew navigators. As we stepped on the ladders of the dancing boat, some of the passengers were horrified. They were whispering words of panic. I wasn’t alarmed by what I heard because I have been to worse sea travels before. When I saw their pale faces, I got a little worried. I studied the life jacket above my head remembering how to put on it. I imagined myself swimming hopelessly through the big waves slowly swallowing me down. That would be a sad ending of my life. All of my pending dreams began fading out in the air. My mind shouted “I can’t die this way. Not this time!”

I looked at the driver’s “mini-cockpit”. I saw every inch of his muscles struggling to maneuver the steering wheel. It seemed like he was wrestling a big monster trying to kill him. This thought made me wonder if I were in his place, I didn’t think I could do just what he did. While busy on the wheel, he also gave instructions to his crew members who were busy on their navigation routines. His voice was powerful yet polite enough to win over the respect of his crew members.

In an instant the driver looked straight into my eyes as if he knew I studied his every move. Peace and calmness, I saw on his face. I knew he wasn’t worried. Probably he had been to navigate on worse conditions. I knew he was more than positive about what he was doing. Right there and then, I knew I would be safe that time. There was magic in his stare that tamed my worries.

This old guy didn’t even talk to any of us passengers but his warm and calm face was more than an assertion that everything was alright. If his face showed panic, I think I would also panic. That’s how important a person’s gestures and facial expressions are!