Smile...

The other day I went for a longish run in the Casa de Campo in Madrid and was suddenly struck by the word SONRIE (smile) - each letter painted on a tree in such a way that the word is only spelt out from a particular vantage point. I wasn't carrying a camera at the time and, unfortunately, the only photo I can find on the internet was not taken from the right place.

SONRIE, it might never happen

The result was the (presumably) intended: I smiled and for a few minutes running was slightly easier on my legs. The same urban art bandits are no doubt responsible for this installation, made up of plastic cups inserted in the chicken wire of a fence by a roundabout near the Casa de Campo. This one seems to be directed at motorists rather than runners or cyclists.

I was reminded of this as I cycled home last night as I passed a graffito (yes, the singular of graffiti is indeed a grafito) scrawled on a wall near my house:

Sonrie que la vida son 3 días y ya vamos por el segundo.

Smile, life is 3 days and we are already on the second.

I'm not usually one for smiling for smiling's sake because I think that only devalues the currency of smiling, but I did find this quite profound. It appears to be a fairly common saying in Spanish.