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Compliments

I was out celebrating my college roommate's birthday last night, and a friend of a friend told me, "I wish you were gay." In its own way, it's flattering that the guy said that. Still, that's one of the oddest compliments I've ever received, and I wasn't quite sure what to say to the guy (if you must know, we all just laughed about it).

Actually, I've noticed over the years that last night was no fluke. People don't tell me that I'm attractive or funny. No, instead, I hear things like:
  • "Wow, you have nice eyelashes. They're really long."
    This one came from a female nurse that helped me out when I was first getting my contacts. Actually, she said the same thing to both my brother and I, so it must have been a genetic thing. I understand why the nurse would notice something like that, but I'm a guy, so it was almost like the compliment fell on deaf ears.
  • "Your heart takes pretty pictures"
    Another one from the someone with a medical degree. I had to get an echocardiogram done of my heart a while back, and the technician mentioned this as she was working the machine. Awesome, I have a photogenic heart.
  • "Really? That's the best you could come up with? I expected some Shakespearean type mockery"
    "You could tease the warts off a toad"
    These two get combined because they're both back-handed compliments about being creative. At least that was the justification I was given, so I'm going with it. Of course, they could have just been calling me a jerk to my face and counting on the fact that I'm gullible.
  • I speak well
Now, don't get me wrong, I'll take the oddball compliments. It beats someone insulting me, and heck, it's (usually) flattering. I am curious what the next one is going to be, though.

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