What?

Have you ever heard someone say something “nice” but when you think about it, not so much? I’m talking about the really off-the-wall statements people say in the name of paying you “a compliment” but they don’t really use the right words. You can’t really fault them too much but sometimes I think people should think completely before they speak.

It’s happened to me a couple of times. The most recent was about a couple of weeks ago.

I just went through the turnstile at Metro heading towards the escalator. It’s early and I am heading to work, so I am not in the best of moods. I can see a man riding up clearly staring at me. Like not taking his eyes off me type of blatant eyeballing. (Maybe I should start billing people when they stare at me. I would be rich.)

As I walk up the escalator past him, he asks me, “How tall are you?” I tell him without stopping. ( I gots places to be.)”That’s a good height,” I heard him reply behind me. I did not say anything else. Unfortunately, the train was not at the station yet so I had to wait there hoping he would not try to continue the conversation. But sure enough, I see him walking toward me and he stops and says again that my height is a good height but the best part, he tells me, is that I am not skinny, I’m “firm,” using his balled up fist as emphasis. Then, if that wasn’t enough, he said that he bets his coworker standing a few feet away was taller. The coworker was not tall at all and I said so (me being the expert and all) but the man insisted that his coworker was taller. I did not press it as I did not want to end up being a human ruler. He then wished me a good day, walked away and that was that.

I’m still not entirely sure what he meant. Firm as in muscular, which I am definitely not. Or maybe he meant solid, which I actually have heard before. And I am not sure “solid” is much of a compliment either. When he commented on my “firmness,” I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s definitely a new one. I’m sure he meant it in a good way but it’s like, what?

And how could he tell I was tall from way up on the escalator? But then again, it could’ve been really obvious. Sometimes I forget how tall I really am.

Have you ever gotten an off the wall compliment? The kind where you question what they actually mean? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time. TTFN (Ta Ta For Now!)

Elayna

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