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There is another side to the invisibility of PWPs. This is
the invisibility of our feelings towards others.
The typical PD "mask" not only hides our innermost feelings
from being mirrored in our expressions, but can often give
others the wrong impression of our feelings.

I have caught fleeting glimpses of my face in mirrors, shop
windows, etc., when I have been "off", and I look like a
stereotypical elderly maiden aunt who has just finished
sucking a lemon!  (My apologies to all maidens and aunts
everywhere.)

In other words, PD has worked on the muscles of my face to
produce a prissy, tight-lipped mouth, with matching eyes.
In the Western world, we place so much store by facial
expressions, and I am afraid that we PWPs often send wrong
signals.

We can even give what we fondly believe is a warm loving
glance at our loved ones, only to have it received as an
accusing glare!

So it is important that we practise conscious exercise of
our face muscles, to strengthen and to loosen them, and that
we deliberately smile warmly at others, and adopt other
expressions as appropriate, even to the extent of "hamming".

It is the complete lack of expression, or a frozen
inappropriate expression, that can make people with the best
of feelings towards us gradually make us invisible in their
minds.  After all, no one wants to look at a statue or a
grouch all day, every day.

And we need to reassure our nearest and dearest constantly
that we love them, and that we appreciate the caring things
they do for us, because our PD faces can't do it for us.

We should also practise an amiable expression in the mirror,
and force it onto our faces from time to time, to show the
world we are not the gloom-ridden souls we may appear.

You should see the shocked look on shop assistants and
check-out girls when I give them a big, warm grin.  No,
no, they are not frightened, they are just not used to
anyone smiling at them, and it is a particular shock to get
a big friendly smile from a man whose face a few seconds
before appeared frozen at best, or at worst, disapproving.

They in turn then respond with a smile of their own, and
this makes both their and my day a little lighter.

This frozen face, by the way, does have an "up" side,
believe it or not. I have gained a reputation, not only as a
good poker player, but as having a very dry sense of humour.
If only they knew...

Jim