Now, Look for that twinkle in the eye!

The Corona arrived and lo! Everything changed. The way we went to office and schools; the way we did business; the way we did our banking; the way we ate; the way we shared our feelings and almost everything under the sun altered in a few days. The pandemic stealthily changed our life, before we could formally register and say a proper good-bye to our old ways. The same Mobile phone that was  shunned in the Pre-Covid times for becoming a pest in our life has been gradually appreciated for being a friend, philosopher and guide in the days of lockdown and solitude.

The Pandemic has greatly influenced the way we communicate. The other day I was teaching Non-Verbal communication to my students where Facial Expressions is one of the vital component. However, in the new normal post Corona, we are all wearing those masks where half our face is covered. Therefore, the value of facial expressions in Non-Verbal communication has gone down. Nevertheless, the Facial expressions are not a single entity. As we all know, it is made up of several components like the use of lips to smile, the use of tongue to show some expressions and the use of eyes for eye contact. Previously, the smile was considered as the most wonderful communicator of your moods .But today, this smile has been veiled for protection. So now, how do we know the mood of the person who is in conversation with me? In this new normal when the mask has become an integral part of our face, the eyes have gained prominence. I remember my photographer once telling me to always give a  colgate smile for a good photograph. He said that when we give a full smile ,it lends  that special twinkle to the eyes and he can take a natural good photo. So such is the importance of that radiant smile!So now, when we are missing that special smile, we can look for the reflection of that smile :the bewitching twinkle (Transferred Epithet) in the eyes of our friend, relative or  can I add even our  Boss.(??)

The figure of speech Synecdoche has been put into action in the present times. As many of you must have learnt in English Literature that   figure of speech -Synecdoche means the function of part is done by the whole and   vice –versa. Today we see that- What the function of the whole face was, is being represented and done by its component i.e. by our eyes. Our Eyes now  have been promoted to be the only reflector of our emotions on the face. So now, in this Corona context, our Eyes do the Non-verbal communication of the face. Consequently, now look for that special twinkle in the eyes of the people around you and understand their emotions. In addition, we too should bring that twinkle in our eyes to reflect that radiant smile under the mask and spread the much –needed positivity and happiness.