No, I don't mean 'calves', as in cattle babies. I mean, as in what I look at when I bend at the waist (because as you know, the SconeLady cannot bend her neck down to look - titanium prevents all such bending).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/waffles10/8845851616/
I have often felt slighted by the calves in my life. They haven't typically been the stick thin appendages one might view in a Vogue, or a Cosmo Magazine. On the other hand, I don't want the life that might go along with stick-thin items of this sort. Women who are fortunate enough to have money-making legs probably become twitchy as time ticks by. And that would be scary.
Still. I wouldn't have minded had my appendages been just a TINY bit more svelte. Take tonight, for instance. There I was, minding my own business - walking multiple miles - listening to NPR (an interview with the cinematographer of The Godfather - fascinating!), when suddenly a man stopped dead in front of me. Well, he wasn't dead but he stopped as though he might soon be. He stood staring at my legs.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianauer/2130005465/
I became nervous and made to move past him, but he shouted out: "WOW! Now THOSE are SOME STRONG CALVES YOU'VE GOT THERE! What do you DO to get such BIG STRONG CALVES?!"
Oh. My. Goodness.
I laughed nervously, and once again made to move on. He let me, but from behind I heard him commenting to others as he walked: "MAN! That lady is a STRONG 'un. I wonder what it is that she....", and then, mercifully, the voice faded away.
Really, dear Readers. Can you understand why I was befuddled? Do you commiserate with the poor SconeLady who was thus accosted IN PUBLIC? I could not concentrate on the filming of The Godfather or anything else for at least 10 minutes.
I know all of this is a First World problem, and life's too short for such shallow worries. In fact, deep down I feel that this man meant it as a compliment. And it was a whole lot better than the man yesterday who tried to sell me drugs.
(I know. Welcome back to California).
See you along the way!
the SconeLady
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/waffles10/8845851616/">Harry Thomas Photography</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianauer/2130005465/">Brian Auer</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
This is alarming. I don't mean the calf comment, because strong calves are a thing of beauty, but being accosted on the street by a drug dealer? You'd better get into another neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteIt is strange how polite the man with the drugs was - but it isn't funny! I don't walk that direction now so hopefully will not see anyone like that again.
DeleteI rather think I would like to be recognized for having strong calves than being told by a couple from New Zealand while on vacation in Hawaii that I looked like the famous American, Billie Jean King! It has been over thirty years now and it still touches a bit of a raw nerve within me!
ReplyDeleteHa! People say the strangest things, don't they? There we were, minding our own business, and someone comes out of the clear blue and makes strange comments at us. Billy Jean King, though. Hmmmm. I just looked at photos of her in 1982 (she was playing at Wimbledon) and I see no resemblance!
ReplyDelete