I spotted an ad on teevee this morning that offered a solution to the agony of the imperfect smile. In it, a beautiful woman mourned her center tooth gap until she was rescued by some modern miracle, which made her look like her idea of everyone else.
In the 19th century, people were distinguished by their odd features. Trying to look average or ideal was essentially a disguise. If you were unusually tall and dish-faced, and you didn’t laugh at jokes, you ran the risk of being mistaken for a bank-robbing fugitive while traveling.
Go on and be a little more Victorian. Rock those flabby abs, smile big and wide with that gap and accentuate your limp for tips. These days no one can get away with nicknaming you Wobbles or Whistles, so go on and live it up in tribute to all those dead folks!!
Also, my book is available electronically everywhere next week, with a free preview on Smashwords right this minute:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/783090
askyermom 