posted
I got home from class in the middle of class today. My design partner and I left early to come to my place to work on our project (an ugly postmodern mutant bike. Anyway-). While I was running around trying to get all my supplies together, there was a knock on the door.
"Hello," said a young guy with Courtney Love's fashion taste and a laminated magazine order sheet. "I'm earning points by improving my skills talking to people..."
I'd had one of these strange magazine salesmen before and tried to cut him off as soon as I could since I was waiting for my partner to arrive. He managed a few more sentences vaguely leading to the point where he wanted to sell magazines, but I refused as abruptly as I could.
"Thanks," I said, "but I'm in the middle of an art project I have to get back to."
"Can I help you?"
"Um, no thanks. I have to run next door and see if I can borrow some tools."
"I have some superglue," he offered in an either helpful or creepy tone of voice.
"I'm fine, but thanks," I smiled. Now is when I expected him to get bitter like the perfume salesman who had tried to appeal to my Mormonness by offering to marry me. As he smiled and turned to leave, I was waiting for the rude brush-off.
He turned and was halfway across the lawn before turning and saying "can I give you a compliment?"
"Sure," I said, baffled. What kind of compliment do you give the frump art girl who wouldn't buy a magazine?
"WOW," he said, smiled again, and left.
************
Was that a sincere compliment? I've never been a WOW girl, and he wasn't even much of a creepy loser.
Hmmm. Curiouser and curiouser.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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quote: ------------------------ Now is when I expected him to get bitter like the perfume salesman who had tried to appeal to my Mormonness by offering to marry me. ------------------------ *guffaws*
It's true! After I told him three times I wouldn't buy any perfume, he spotted my CTR ring and, apparently being from Utah, said, "Oh, you're Mormon?! We could get engaged!"
After I told him a final no, he got a little miffed and muttered something not-so-Mormon.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Annie, that is such an awesome story. I have had some strange salesmen come to my door (as opposed to salesladies?) but none has proposed to me! Or said WOW.
Oh, and yeah, I don't blame him for sayin' "WOW" either.
Isn't it nice to realize that you've grown up to be a swan?
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Annie, don't listen to these people. I use your picture to keep raccoons away from my garbage. Clearly, that guy was out of his mind.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I was just telling my husband over dinner that the fact that Hobbes hadn't posted in this thread was sure-fire proof that he isn't online.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
I understand what Annie means, and I say this with complete confusion, not conceit or anything, or fishing for complements. I spend my whole life being ordinary...
But occaisionally, very occaisionally, I get a comment that's like a veiled version of Annie's "Wow." Not exactly like hers, more cryptic but it'll leave me thinking, "What??!!" was that person being nice or...
I dunno, but I know what Annie means. It's very confusing. Most of the time I am ordinary.
My point was that if I were the type of girl who garnered Wow attention normally, I would have known how to interpret this. See? Isn't that proof in itself?
*makes faces for Stormy's raccoons*
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I have had similar things happen to me. I am generally thought of as ordinary, but every so often someone will act like I am beautiful. It is rather confusing. ((Annie)) At first I was mistaken for you at KamaCon because I was next to hobbes. After I saw you I was flattered by the mistake. Posts: 1015 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Because some people view the world through their own skewed and highly warped perspective?
A fair number of Rackers will be happy to relate problems they've had with people lecturing them on body types. One mom yelled at her mom for telling her granddaughter that she was fat.
To some health nuts, I'm an overweight blob. To some geeks, I'm the paragon of fitness and model of clean, healthy living.
I've met some downright hot women (in my opinion) who didn't think they were and I've met some women people thought were hot and I just couldn't see it.
What I'm trying to convey is the difference in perception and how people evaluate that perception based on their own experiences and values.
quote:So how is it that I get comments like, "You clearly consume more calories than you burn."
Well, you're clearly storing something in those two humps of yours. And even if you were tall enough, that's not really a common place to store basketballs.
Posts: 5264 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Wow... I definitely don't identify, Annie! I've gotten a "WOW" about my singing once or twice, but you don't have to look at the person to hear their voice...
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Well, you're clearly storing something in those two humps of yours. And even if you were tall enough, that's not really a common place to store basketballs.
Oh, c'mon. Dodgeballs, tops.
TMedina - Si señor. But Annie floats everyone's boat, neh? Posts: 7600 | Registered: Jan 2001
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quote: As we have pointed out on various threads, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Well... According to my friend, a fleshy substance not unlike that of an eye is in the eye of the beholder. Posts: 1466 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Annie IS a "Wow!" chick, partly because she's oblivious.
This sort of reminds me of the FedEx guy. When Nash was building his bike/ordering stuff for his trip, the FedEx guy came by a lot. Usually with stuff that had to be signed for.
The last time he came by, he said, "I love coming here! You're always smiling."
I WAS smiling. I smile a lot. I said, "You're always bringing me stuff, why wouldn't I smile?" None of the stuff was ever for me, but it's always fun to sign for packages, isn't it?
He took back the clipboard and said, "I wish I had a smile like that to greet me when I go home." He was on his way back to the truck when he said it, no lingering or anything.
I said, "Thanks" I think, and shut the door. Now that could mean anything, depending on my daily level of paranoia. The FedEx guy has the hots for me. The Fedex guy is lonely and I was nice to him. Poeple don't smile a lot at the FedEx guy. Or maybe he's going to come back and peep in my windows. (Once you've had a Peeper, you get a little paranoid).
My conclusion was that I'm paranoid and he was just being nice. The key is not to think about it too much. That way lies madness. Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Man, all I ever get from solicitors or delivery guys, is "Is your mother home?" or "Can I speak to the homeowner?" Sometimes its easier to say no, and shut the door, but trying to convince the persistent ones that I am the homeowner and no we don't want to buy anything gets downright annoying.
posted
You know, Annie, earlier today I was on the phone with a friend who has read your posts (not in a stalker way, in a I-enjoy-your-posts way) and she's dying to get to know you...as soon as she decides to start posting, that is. So you're not just a WOW! in looks, you've got that something about you that makes you a WOW! in the personality department as well.
Posts: 378 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
OOh, I'm so gonna prank call AJ with the 'is your mother home' line. When you least expect it!!
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Since I was in middle school I have been getting, "Is your husband home?". I don't get it. I don't think I look old enough for a husband.
Posts: 1015 | Registered: Aug 2004
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