Wednesday 12 December 2007

Other People

Words are timeless. You should utter them or write them with a knowledge of
their timelessness.

Khalil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (1883-1931)

My mother has this thing about hands. She will always notice people’s fingers, how many rings they wear, and what they’re like, and what people do with their hands. (I wave mine around a lot when I’m talking.)

A friend of mine notices hands too. ‘You can tell how anxious Gordon Brown is,’ she said. ‘He’s always twisting his with nerves.’

Another friend was watching my legs on my recent TV blip. ‘They were ever so still,’ she said. ‘Mine would have been hopping around all over the place.’

But she also notices smiles. I try and keep my mouth shut because my front teeth stick out (despite years of braces as a child). Then when I had a lot of problems with toothache and bad gums, I didn’t dare open my mouth at all. I became paranoid about other people’s teeth, and wouldn’t talk to them if they had good ones. (It’s difficult to talk with your mouth shut.)

As for me, well I notice people’s voices. I also notice what shape they are.

What do you notice about other people?

15 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

Noses definately! The angle, the shape of nostrils. Those nostrils that have a sharp 'v' like the Minogue sisters fascinate me.

This is probably because I am not fond of my nose:-)

Flowerpot said...

I can't really see your nose, Lane, but it looks fine to me. I don't usually notice noses but I was watching a film last night and noticed various noses then. I quite agree about nostrils with a sharp V.... I'm not that keen on mine either - it has abump half way down.

Ellee Seymour said...

I always think my nails are my worst feature and do indulge in manicures once a month to keep them in shape.

Elaine Denning said...

I notice people's lips. Some people have very full lips, which are symmetrical. Others have one lip bigger than the other...and some have no lips at all. I've realised (over the years) that I'm not attracted to the lipless variety.

Having said that, I absolutely adore Robbie Williams. And his are as thin as string.

Very strange....

Philipa said...

Apart from the stuff you've mentioned, I notice feet/shoes. Have you seen the film 'Kinky Boots'? There's a great scene in that where they try to guess peoples characters from their shoes and get it more right than they indended! Anyway, I think shoes are often quite telling. From the social climber in a pair of white loafers to the essex girl in white plastic stilettos they are often a statement of 'type'. I find the loudest unwitting statement from a man in a nice suit with worn plastic shoes - He's probably borrowed the suit; it isn't 'him', you don't often borrow shoes.

And apart from that I'm hopeless.

I do notice mens bottoms though, and shoulders. And the bits in between and round about. Well, I used to..

laurie said...

interesting question and observations.... i notice eyes. where are they looking? are they looking directly at me? eyes darting all over? searching for a reflective surface to look at themself back again?

Irene said...

I always look at men's noses. I think a man should have a good large nose, none of those little pug noses. I also look at hands and if the fingers are long and nicely shaped. I do this less with women, with women I look at their eyes more and how they laugh.

Flowerpot said...

ellee - that sounds a very sensible thnig to do!

MissU - I ahve a friend who can't stand Kenneth Branagh because of his thin lips!

Flowerpot said...

philipa - yes I go for men's bums - particularly tennis players. they always have great buttocks..

laurie - yes eyes are very telling arent' they? I was talking to a doctor yesterday who kept looking at my chest rather than my face - very disconcerting. Considering I'm almost flat chested.

Flowerpot said...

sweet ireene - very interesting. Good to know what other people do!

debio said...

Hands, shoes, teeth and hair - not necessarily in that order....for both men and women.

For men only I always notice the way they walk - some attractive, some not.

Cornish Dreamer said...

I look at their eyes, mouth (partly because when my hearing is playing up it helps me understand what people are saying), and definately noses.

the rotten correspondent said...

Eyes. Maybe because I'm self conscious about mine, but I think mostly because they give such good insight into character.

avi said...

Skin - good clear skin with no veins showing through!

Flowerpot said...

avi - hooray - glad to hear from you!