I Got A Wolf Whistle… From A Teenager. I’m 51!

I don’t know whether to be flattered or embarrassed!

Photo by Biel Morro on Unsplash

I remember my mum getting wolf whistles in her 40s. She used to joke that she still looked alright from a distance… even at that age.

Now I’m 51 and apparently, I look OK from a distance, too! I did feel a little embarrassed when I got a wolf whistle today, though.

I mean, where do you look when that happens? Down at your shoes? Across the park? I gave the group of lads a polite half-smile and kept walking. This was definitely not the moment to trip up or fall over. Self-consciousness reigns.

It’s never been easy knowing how to respond in these situations. When I was younger, it was mildly embarrassing to get a wolf whistle, even then. You’re walking along, minding your own business, and suddenly you become the butt of someone else’s attention, and maybe a joke.

I felt self-conscious and slightly objectified, back then, too. I’m fairly confident that guys are just taking the piss much of the time. It’s not really a compliment. Just a laugh.

To add to the experience, I’d get ‘smile love’, which itself is quite irritating. Unless I was smiling already, and then it would be, ‘What are you so happy about?’ You can’t win!