There I was, talking with a friend at work in her cubicle. She has seen pictures of Kathi (though I wimped out a year ago when I showed her, I told her they were Halloween pictures. Sigh.) Still, she has told me multiple times, "You are a beautiful woman - no offense." (None taken - believe me! ).
Anyway, we were talking and she suddenly interrupted me by saying, "My God! You have such pretty hands! How do you keep your nails looking so good? Mine always break before they get anywhere near that long."
I hadn't realized how long they were getting as work has been incredibly busy, my wife is off at yet another conference, and life has just been hectic. I just don't pay much attention to them. So, I looked at the nails of my hand and she laughed and said, "Wow, you really are a girl! Here, let me show you how a guy looks at his nails" and she turned my hand around so it was palm up and curved my fingers so that my nails were touching my palm. "There!" she said. "That's how a guy does it. You keep doing it the way you did and your secret girly life will be out for sure!"
I must have blushed or something, because she changed the subject before I could even come up with a protest. Nothing more was said. It makes me wonder how many other mannerisms I unconsciously have. How did I look at my nails? The normal way, of course, like this:
Now I don't think my hands are that pretty. I see a big set of man-hands. I see icky hair, fat fingers, veins and tendons, etc. Sure, I added a coat of polish tonight to pretty them up for the picture (and changed to my other wedding ring), but that's as good as they get. Yes, my nails are a bit longer than average, but I like them that way. As long as I can still type, they're not too long to me. Well until my wife says, "OK, buster - either clip them or polish them. They're prettier than mine!" and of course I know when she says that that polishing them is not an option!
Well, I guess it's time to go and do the "guy thing" and clip my nails. Pity. They make great scratchers, and I do love to look at them - the right way, of course - wrist bent up, fingers splayed, and with a look of satisfaction.
Kathi