Why Is This Man Smiling?

In ancient Athens, great philosophers roamed through the byways in togas and sandles.In modern Queens, they wear suits, homemade signs, and wave American flags.
Everyone has seen this guy . . . standing alongside the Grand Central Pkwy. or on Astoria Blvd. or Queens Blvd. or on overpasses (actually, he has over 65 very visible locations to visit all over the City).
The first time you spot him, you think he’s crazy. The second time, you want to know what he’s selling or collecting. By the third time people seem to realize that what he calls his "show" . . . all the flag waving, colorful signs and harmonica playing . . . is just to make you stop for a moment, think about it, and then . . . smile.
Luis (he prefers to only use his first name) explained that this is his own personal philosophy of life which he wants to share with as many people as he can. He started standing on the roadside of the City’s busiest highway about four years ago so that he could reach an audience literally in the thousands each day. At first no one smiled, he said. Now about 45 percent do.
Stationed on Astoria Blvd. off the Van Wyck Expwy exit last week, a passenger in a white van cupped his hands to call out Luis’ name. "I’m happy to see you," he yelled back, smiling of course, and added, "you’re my boss!"
Dressed in a neatly pressed suit and oversized red sunglasses taped at the rim, he waved the American flag furiously at the cars driving by and explained that he loves America. The petite philosopher with a thick Hispanic accent came to the United States in 1967 and believes there should be American flags everywhere to show pride in this nation. But since he can’t afford to do that, he waves his own flags instead.
Luis gets asked a lot of questions as he stands by the roadsides of Queens. People want to know where he came from originally. They want to know what he does for a living (for the record, he has had numerous careers, in the restaurant business, real estate, and management and he still makes time for some parttime work when not passing on his message). They want to know his age ("between 50 and 100 . . . but it doesn’t matter because everyone is a child and everybody’s old. We’re all going to the same place.")
But he keeps all the details about his past sketchy. "I only live in the present," he explained.
From the corner of Kissena Blvd. and the Horace Harding Expwy. across from Queens College, Luis proclaims more wisdom to a student journalist, "Never say ‘I have no time, you are the boss of time."
His attire varies slightly from day to day but standing near the college, he is still wearing the oversized red sunglasses and has a new sign that reads: "Tomorrow may never come, smile." Smile is translated into Spanish, French, Italian, German and Chinese.
He finds locations by Queens College special because his daughter studied there. He said, "I am very happy to be with the students." He told the student journalist "The [university] building, without you, is nothing. You fill it up" and he advises students to "be happy with your family" and "Don’t put anything in your stomach that is not happy. Don’t go to school without food."
When it rains, Luis said that he still works at spreading the word. "Dressed regular" (that is, without his signs, flags and glasses) he makes a point of helping seniors cross the street and visiting hospitals to spread his smiles. He added that "many people never connect me [to the "smile guy"] without the glasses."
Last year on father’s Day, he stood on Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills and everytime a father passed by with their child, Luis would reach into a bag and present the father with a small wrapped gift.
A Queens resident himself, Luis said that people are very happy in Queens, adding "I try to do my best" to keep them that way. His colorful and eclectic mix of accessories combined with powerful uplifting messages is seducing smiles around the City and reminding us all to take our time, be masters of our life, treat ourselves well, and make sure to make every day happy.