The Furious Spinner

Okay I love women too. But sometimes—generally speaking—men are easy. Easier. You all know about my sinus surgery. Over the last two weeks I've seen lots of people who never knew me before my nose blew up from the polyps. Before the surgery I tried to explain to my friends that the polyps had pushed out the bones in my nose, so that part would not change after the sinus surgery. The only way I can fix that, as far as we knew, was through rhinoplasty, which I have no intention of doing since it's not impacting my health, just my looks. Anyway, despite me saying this, no one seems to have heard it. After my operation nearly every person I've seen has said something like, "You're still swollen but that will go down, right?" Then I say, "No, this is now what I look like now." "Oh." And then they look away.

Today as I was walking home from the bank, I noticed my friend's truck outside a local restaurant. I went inside to say hello. I sat at the booth and talked with them for a while. I used to live down the road from them when we lived on the Landing. Ira is in his eighties; Rhoda is in her seventies. They're two of my favorite people. Anyway, we talked politics for a bit and then Rhoda asked me about the operation. I told her. She was puzzled by the shape of my nose. I told her about the bones being pushed out. Then I said, "But the important thing is that I can breathe. Can't smell yet but I'm hopeful. And I think it looks better." By this time, I was tired of explaining this, especially since just before I came into the restaurant I had just explained it to another friend. But then Ira said, "You look beautiful." I put my arm around him and said, "Now that's the right thing to say." I don't know if Ira actually looked at me and noticed any difference at all. I don't really care. But he said exactly the right thing. No questions. No puzzlement. No staring. Just the facts, ma'am, as he saw them.

That's why I love men. At least why I love that man. 2 comments

2 Comments:

Your friend was right, Kim. Of course you are beautiful and that shines through magnificently - your nose is perfect in every way just as it is now, and there is no need for rhinoplasty or any of those silly cosmetic surgeries which are being nattered and written about everywhere. Blessings, cate

By  kerrdelune, at 6:21 AM  

Thanks, cate! I've gotten a lot of letters about Ira. Yes, he is such a sweetheart. I think I've told this story before, so excuse me for repeating myself. At his eightieth birthday party some years ago, he came out of his bathroom and he had a big wet spot on his pants where water from the faucet had sprayed him. He was so distressed and embarrassed. I put my arm around him--we were standing away from the partygoers--and I said, "Don't worry, Ira. You're 80 years old now. Everyone will just think you wet yourself." He laughed so hard--and he wasn't embarrassed any more. Every time I see him, we dance. You gotta love this man!

By  Kim Antieau, at 10:19 PM  

Post a Comment

All photographs and written material copyright © 2003-2008 by Kim Antieau unless otherwise indicated. May not be used without permission.