Can you take a compliment? I like to give compliments to people I know. When I volunteer them, I mean them genuinely. I find women generally respond to them and what's more, will ask decisive questions to get to the actual specifics that provoked the compliment. I can appreciate this level of drilling down so I'm happy to comply with details.
Men are a whole different ball of wax.
It must be hard for them, bless these splendid creatures, to offer it up in the first place. Yet the feminine propensity to ask for detail can easily be their failing (and make them regret even opening their mouths in the first place). I curse the woman who ever dared asked her male companion, "Does this make me look fat?" because the poor fellow put in the position to respond will never reply with the right answer. It is the quintessential no-win.
You gotta simplify. When a man offers you a compliment, you must resist your urge to interpret. Just absorb the words at face value. Once down with that concept, the whole dimension of the compliment takes on a whole new meaning. If the compliment is volunteered, you are golden. Gold stars for everyone.
Today our new assistant controller and I were shooting the shit. He's my age and a rather unlikely financial type. He's also a salt of the earth-blue collar-no nonsense fellow who is also a solid business professional. He can wear the corporate face, message up and down effectively and respond to our financial issues with responsible fortitude. He's been on staff a short time, but we've become good friends and I think he knows he can let his hair down with me. Today he wished me a happy belated birthday (which effectively makes me two months older than him). I scoffed noting I was now older than he was and was essentially an aging old broad. "What are you worried about?" he exclaimed, "you're a good looking broad!"
And yes, my friends, I will take that compliment.
2 comments:
I used to have a hard time accepting compliments until one day I was informed, by a dear friend, that by not accepting it actually negated the compliment as well as the person giving it. So, now I accept them with graciousness and I feel better. Cool, huh? One of these days, I hope I get the opportunity to have a cup of coffee and 'chew the fat' with you C&W. Better yet, a drink..... on me.
You're on, Karen!
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