"You remind me so much of Nick Nolte," she said, "only when he was a lot younger and sexy." I was surprised, genuinely flattered, and thanking her, said so. I've been told I look like a lot of things, some printable, some not, but never Nick Nolte.He's what women called a "hunk" not too long ago and much as I may have fantasized about achieving hunkiness, considering myself in his class strikes me as borderline delusional. Coming on the heals of a recent birthday, as it did, the "younger and sexy" part of her comment was, well, let's just say it was really nice.
In his later years, my father was distinguished, at least according to my mother, and I think she was right. As a young man he was all of tall, dark, and handsome. Where those genes went in the crossover phase of meiosis when his half of my genetic code was being hammered out, I'll never know. I got the one for height but the rest went AWOL and have been missing ever since.
It's especially welcome to get a compliment like hers when you crawl out of bed in the morning, look in the mirror, and wonder what on earth you were doing to yourself between lights out and sunup. I mean, you thought you were dreaming, right? Some days I have to wonder.
Admittedly, it was tempting to ask which Nolte she had in mind. Was it the romantic Prince of Tides (1991), rough and tumble 48 Hours (1982) with Eddie Murphy, or the football player from North Dallas Forty (1979)? But that didn't seem polite, nor did I want to risk it. At this point in my life, I'm grateful when someone vaguely contemplates using the adjectives "young" and "sexy" in the same sentence where I'm concerned. It doesn't happen often and I've learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, no doubt the day is coming when she's going to decide I look like the older Nolte and for that, I'm in no hurry. No offense, Nick.
(Creative Commons image by Alan Light via Flickr)
Actually....YES! you do look like Nick Nolte...And, he has got handsomer with age. You are a handsome man so just believe it!!!
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to have dark good looks to be handsome, BUT, I say...be DASHING! and by jove, you are..and, you have sexy legs!
I look like Merryl Steep. Not when she was younger, but very much as she is now, only the nose is slightly different, and I am not as thin..but hey, I've lost a total of 7 kilo now (15lbs) so I am doing well. I prefer to grow old gracefully instead of looking like a plastic doll.
Let's just enjoy and be happy with ourselves the way we are..
At least we have a sense of humour and that says everthing..
Aw, thanks, Crystal! And thanks for seeing the humor in this one, too. :-) Not that I meant to diminish her kindness -- it just struck me as something that struck me as the last thing I'd ever have thought, myself. It was great fun and she was a good sport, to be sure. Being happy with who we are is the key, I agree, and learning to accept what others see is about learning how to accept a gift -- even if it's one we don't think we deserve. :-)
ReplyDelete