RBF, And Do You Have It?

Years ago, I was sitting alone in the hallway of my son’s school waiting for something I naturally don’t recall when this older man passed by and glanced at me. About five minutes later, as he was passing me again, I looked up and smiled and he said, “Your whole face lights up when you smile and you look so pretty.”

And there it was. My first exposure to something I didn’t know had a name and wouldn’t know for years to come. But it made me wonder if I look ugly or angry when I’m not smiling and being me, rest assured I gave this a lot of thought.

By now, I’m sure you know what I’m referring to.

RESTING BITCH FACE

And sadly, I have it, but I’m not alone. In fact, there’s even a website where you can test to see if you have it, https://www.testrbf.com/index.html.

But trust me, the only test you need is a mirror.

Cambridge Dictionary defines RBF as “an unkind, annoyed, or serious expression that someone has on their face when relaxed, without intending to . . .” making you appear unfriendly.

Well, you know what? That RBF of mine has served me well throughout my lifetime. Having lived in NY for most of my life and commuted to Manhattan on public transportation, both subways and buses, RBF kept many a predator from messing with me. In fact, now that I think about it, just about everyone I commuted with and who walked the streets of Manhattan suffered from RBF. It was how we stayed safe and it was a rare occasion when we let anyone see our true selves. Or was RBF actually our true selves?

Either way, do you have RBF? There is only one cure, but I refuse to walk around constantly smiling.

😡