"I sit in the third chair on the left side of the dinner table. I was dragged here by my best friend Tino, God if I didn’t love the guy I wouldn’t be here. HERE of all places. His “little” social gatherings that become full blown parties, all of which the cops were called. This little dinner party was a bit too big for me, and the people he brings are God-awful people. They dress tacky, they all talk like sailors, and they bring so much booze. Guess where it all goes, down their throats. I swear everyone is drunk by the time dinner is actually served! I never seen so much party people in one house, but some of them are Tino’s family. During college with that clown, he was a party machine, crazy, funny, spontaneous. He is still the light one in his family. Oh boy, so many stories. Anyway, the people that came during this party were Tino’s extended family, friends, and colleagues. I was sitting on left side and Maria was sitting opposite me. I didn’t know her at the time but man, I wanted to.

I got to know her. I don’t really remember what we talked about or if we even talked at all. I gazed over at her every chance I could, and if she noticed me she would smile radiantly. I was totally smitten. I wasn’t the suave man everyone saw me as; to her I was a gentle soul who was interlocked with hers. I would occasionally miss my mouth when I was eating; she would notice and laugh every time. My mouth was covered in spaghetti sauce, or ice cream or cake. I had a cake eating-grin on my face that night. After dinner the party kicked in and it got wild yet, we just sat at the dinner table enjoying ourselves. Tino glanced over at us a couple of times and pointed at us and then the dance floor. I was hesitant but she was ever eager. She grabbed my hand and dragged me out onto the dance floor. Her hips shook her blue sequin dress like the wind shakes the ocean and its aqua blue waves wash away the rough shore. I had let go but I held her tighter. She brushed her hair back and wrapped her arms around me. The seal of our lips had the final word. All the smiles, laughs, and connection that had occurred till that point, was all that was needed. Nothing more needed to be done. All we had to show was present in the sealing of fate.

Maria sat in the third seat of the right. Her friend Angela dragged her to the party. If they weren’t besties, Maria wouldn’t have been here. HERE of all the places. Here is where we were. Here is where we laughed. Here is where we smiled. Here is where we kissed. Here isn’t just a place. Here is where are hearts collided. Here of all the places, is where I want to stay."

That was a body language assignment from my high school creative writing class . But this raises a question to me as I look it over again. What is keeping us from speaking with our own hearts? Why don't we speak our own minds? What is keeping us from following our own hearts?

Well to a certain extent we already do. Body language is the a subconscious way that in which we speak with our hearts. Its nuanced, silent, complex, and different for everyone. There are people who are "body language experts" which sounds like pseudoscience but it is rooted in behavioral analysis and a lot of time. Still, the average person is not a body language expert. Hell, I just got my yellow belt a little while ago! So this subconscious expression of the heart goes over my head and others as well. To this day I have zero idea if people think I'm actually funny, handsome, or interesting (please tell I am at least one of those things).

But honestly, sometimes when I talk the words fall apart and I lose the exact words that I want to say. In those moments I think the "heart" should be enough. To see my body language or the inflection of my words, I hope is enough. It would be great if I could mind meld with someone or share some kind of telepathic connection but since we live in a world without that technology or superpowers body language is the only other thing to go off of. Since, body language is also too complex to decipher we should be more open about ourselves and the world around us. This would keep simple understandings from turning into Shakespearean tragedies.

Like Kanye told Sway, I don't have the answers but I do know that staying true to yourself and voicing your emotions/opinions is admirable. I think with more of that, we would be better off. So I encourage you all to listen to your hearts and be more honest with yourself. Unless you want to get your black belt degree in body language, encourage others to show their hearts as well. With two open hearts having a conversation, you should end up even better than Maria and our narrator.