Walking down the produce aisle, she stared and gave me a half smile. "Weird, what's that for?" I said to myself, as I ignored her and picked up a lime. She was very tall, long hair, good-looking and in her mid to late thirties. Suddenly, she turned and walked back. "Excuse me, I'm not gay or anything," she weirdly prefaced, "but I just have to say you are a very beautiful woman." Stunned, I looked around to see who she could possibly be talking to??? No one but me. I then looked for her accomplice, who was certainly picking my pocket while she distracted me with the extravagant compliment. Nope, no one there.....and own her hands were jammed into her jacket pockets, so she wasn't about to rifle through my bag.
Standing there in pedal-pusher leggings and a T-shirt, fresh out of the pool, completely makeup-less and sporting unstyled wet hair, I was dumbfounded....in the extreme. And although rare for me, I was speechless. "You don't even need makeup," she added. Thunderstruck, as AC-DC would proclaim, all I could stammer was "thank you very much." "You must be a good person," she said as she walked away....."except when I'm not," I managed to reply. We both laughed. She made my day -- or even my year and the next couple of decades.
I hesitated about blogging this because it will undoubtedly be construed as self-serving and congratulatory, but I decided, what the heck, why not. It shows that even old broads can still hang in there and be appreciated -- however rarely. If you read this blog, you will know that I follow Ari Seth Cohen's 'Advanced Style' blog, dedicated to fashionable women of-a-certain-age. I admire women in there 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s who can put it together and look good. My grocery store encounter was also a compliment to them.
I also think it says something about Calgary. People are friendlier here -- and aren't shy about showing it.
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I have always meant it whenever I saw you between appointments (even a year in between!) and told you how great you looked.
ReplyDeleteThe younger staff nicknamed you Diva on a Dime because you always looked so put together and chic without having to spend a fortune doing so.
Looking "chic" without money was something I learned young, when I had no money. It's always, always, always about the accessories -- oh, and the shoes. They are also key. And you're right, a $5.00 pair of the right earrings trumps the $2,500 wrong ones every time. Dumb earrings and stupid shoes are one of the biggest fashion faux pas you'll ever run across.
DeleteYou once said, "Why is it women have to wear every piece of gold jewellery they own every time they leave the house?!" I remembered that one.
Maybe I should change my blog to "Diva on a Dime"? Love that one!
What was the big surprise. I've told you that the first time I saw you in 20yrs!!!!!! I don't give out compliments easily. Then I em'd you and said I found the photo album from my 50th and you look exactly the same except for the colour of hair. Get on your bloody knees and thank God. and B. of course!!!!!!
ReplyDeletesigned: ME B