The Sad-Happy-Face Time Story

I had this group of friends from college, we don’t talk NOW but…we were inseparable during those years and maybe a year or so after. That’s life. Sometimes you have really good friends and you just sort of move on.

That’s not the point of this story.

So, since I saw them so much, I got to know their faces.

I am never sure why the stereotype of men, or anyone, is that they don’t notice when something on someone had changed that they love and see everyday – like a haircut or color change or when their style is different. When you see something every day one way, and then it changes, wouldn’t you notice?

 I think you should notice.

You have to notice.

Guys, GUYS. This is how the pod people are going to get to us. They are going to get in there and steal someone and make a copy they'll get like a couple details wrong and if you don’t notice…well…end of dayz.

In all seriousness, changes in appearance or behavior, however slight, could be deep indicators for other things.

Anyhow, about a year after graduation, I’m living up to my potential by working a part-time retail job in a stationary store and my friend, let’s call him Akeno, comes to visit. He's going to grad school because he's smart.

He's talking to me and something is weird on his face. He always had this birthmark mole thing above his eye and today it looked like it threw up. So I say:

Maddie: What’s wrong with your face?
Akeno: Uhh, nothing, why?
Maddie: It’s like your birthmark threw up all over your forehead. Get that look at or something.

A couple weeks later Akeno messages me and the conversations could be boiled down to this:

Akeno: Hey. Hi. How you doing? Good. Good.
Maddie: What’s up?
Akeno: I went to the doctor and that thing on my face was skin cancer.
Maddie: Eww.
Akeno: Yeah.
Maddie: You going to die?
Akeno: Na, he just removed it so now I have a scar. He said it would go away. I have to go back for tests later, but, he said nothing to worry about.
Maddie: That’s a bummer. No scar? Chicks dig scars.
Akeno: And how.
Maddie: Dude, you’re a cancer survivor.
Akeno: I totally am.
Maddie: Can you get like discounted stuff now?
Akeno: Maybe. Anyhow, I wouldn’t have noticed that if you hadn’t said something. But you said it and I went to the doctor. So, thanks.

The point is, always tell people if their face looks weird or if these little things are off. And if someone tells you your face looks weird or something seems unhealthy, have that checked out by a professional as soon as you can.