Hmm, Really?

??Have you ever wondered about other people’s perception of you? Even the most confident person sometimes wonders what other people think about them.  The past few days friends and strangers have said some things about be that have surprised me.

The Compliment. The first was while I was in the Puerto Rico. I was at an evening cocktail party in Lil’ Ali’s dress, shorter than I usually wear, and felt a group of guys glancing over at me. A few minutes later a friend told me they thought I was Hayden Panetierre. Really? Although I don’t quite see the resemblance myself- beyond that we’re both short, blond and have round faces, but I can’t deny I was  happy about the comparison. She’s 18-years-old! I’m closer to double Hayden’s age than her age! And she’s tiny and athletic, so all around, no complaints from me.

Can Blunt Be Nice? I’ve always prided myself on being nice. Working at a weekly magazine can sometimes get intense but I always (for the most part) still stay nice, fair at least. But, I do acknowledge that I’ve gotten very blunt when it comes to work. The people that have worked with me a long time get this, but I’ve started to wonder how some of the younger publicists that aren’t as familiar with ‘my style’ perceive me. I wondered this as I hung up the phone yesterday after cutting a girl off almost mid-sentence and telling her what she was pitching me just wasn’t right for the magazine. The girl stuttered apologies. I felt like I scared her. I didn’t mean to, I’ve just realized it’s easier to be to the point rather than continue long conversations that will end in promising things I know I can’t do, then more follow-up calls going in the same circles - when we’re both busy. After I hung up and said out loud that I felt bad some co-workers coined the name Jen Hardassian (rhymes with Kardashian). Hmm, not sure how I feel about that one.??

Intimidating? Seriously? Tuesday afternoon I went for coffee at Dante with Matt White. He asked me the question that I just don’t understand people asking at all, “Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” The difference this time was – he also had the answer. He told me that I don’t have a boyfriend for the reason he doesn’t have a serious girlfriend- our chosen careers. He said that since he’s a musician (who’s album was recently released and is currently on tour with Third Eye Blind), women have the preconception that he’s a player who hooks up with different groupies/girls in every city and is faithful to none. As I know and he said, this isn’t true about at all. Then he told me that I don’t have a boyfriend because guys are intimidated by me because of my job and something to the effect that I go to cool parties blah, blah, blah. Seriously? I am 5’2 and a half, blond, fairly friendly and make more than my share of Jessica-Simpon-esque comments. How that is intimidating is completely beyond me. So, I stand confused by that comment, but the question ‘Why don’t you have a boyfriend?’ people, don’t ask that question! There is no answer. If someone says, ‘I don’t have time’ or  ‘I’m focusing on my career right now,’ I’m willing to bet they’re lying.