Direct Mail: Hey, My Talents are Up Here
Hey Eugenia,
My wife called you my “Medium girlfriend” the other day and I laughed heartily because: yes, I do get perhaps too excited about your writing. (See: my responses to two of your posts + me pitching you about writing a post for my publication and well… I suppose this very letter too.)
It got me thinking about how I do get rather excitable about talented women. (Singers Alicia Keys, Robyn, Adele, stage actresses Marin Ireland, Susan Louise O’Connor, Sarah Jones and Cate Blanchett come to mind as previous crazes.) I just imagined a new take on the old saying:
“My eyes are up here,” she said as she caught him staring at her talents.
I recall sometimes confusing this excitement, in my younger days, for romantic attraction (I can think of a couple of women I made that mistake on). On the other hand, I also see how appreciating someone for their talents is not a terrible thing. (I can think about plenty of women I made that [opposite of mistake] on.)
Actually, my wife is the ultimate example of how my excitability worked out. She and I met when she was dating someone and so we were—no air-quotes—just friends for about two years. (Our love was a dormant volcano and neither of us knew.)
I got to know her and loved (no envied) her sense of humor. She would always know when to perfectly place a witty “too soon” in conversation. I’d laugh hysterically, wishing I’d come up with it first. She unknowingly wooed me with her talents. ::swoon::
Of course, when we started dating, I discovered there were all sorts of talents I never even knew she had: singing (I’m talkin’ sanging!), dancing, PowerPoint, etc. And she’s since gained all kinds of new ones too (she’s that person who wants to learn a skill on vacation): Instagram, baking, Instagramming her baking, etc.
☞ Did you discover any hidden talents with your hubby after you started dating? Or were his talents what attracted you to him in the first place? “Compare and contrast.” (^‿^)
Her aforementioned comment—I should mention—was all in fun. By the time wifey and I got together, we’d both been through all the normal trappings of relationship drama (jealousy, petty arguments, PowerPoint, etc.). And our no-hurting, no-lying policy was put in place very early.
Thinking back now, she had also pointed out early on that I had a type. I’d never realized until she mentioned, but she was right: I dated/had a thing for expressive eyes. Well maybe! it’s not necessarily just women with expressive eyes, but also women with a gift of expression. Reaching? Yeah, okay. Nevermind.
Your fan, literally literally,
P.S. I was really hoping to work the phrase “strikes my fancy” into this letter. Oh well.
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