Saturday, November 3

Pregnacy + Middle Aged Men = Pick-Up Lines Galore

A phenomenon not mentioned in the Pregnancy Manuals: the Pregnant Sarah has received more pick-up lines from middle-aged men than the Not-Pregnant Sarah ever did. And this has occurred both when I wasn't showing and when I was. I must be emitting some kind of weird smell that attracts them like flies, or it's my glowy skin. Or maybe it's the new waddle that follows me around, or my ungraceful way of getting out of a chair.

Whatever it is, it is bugging me like allergies that won't go away. Strangest of all was that in the last two weeks, I actually received the same pick-up line TWICE from two different middle-aged men. Both times I was sitting at a table alone, and both times, the man walked by me slowly and said, "Pretty women are beautiful when they smile." Which of course is supposed to make me smile, but I don't want to smile when this happens. I want to flip them off.

But creepiest of all was the middle-aged man I met on the elevator in the Law School on Friday, who told me I had a very long, beautiful neck. This makes me want to wear scarves. Or turtlenecks.

Perhaps the pregnant Sarah is a safe person for middle-aged men to flatter. Maybe they think I feel unattractive as a result of being pregnant (it's amazing how many people comment about getting "fat" - as in, "Are you fat yet?" Pregnancy is not fat. Pregnancy is carrying a fetus. Although I must admit that I am now at that stage where maternity clothing makes me look cute and pregnant, and regular clothing makes me look like I gained some weight. But anyway...)

Whatever the reason for the flattery from the middle-aged men, it is unexpected. A sore back, learning about car seats, people touching your tummy - all expected. Being told I have a beautiful neck? Not expected. Not at all.

5 comments:

mikal said...

you're not fat!
your curvy and beautiful!

mikal said...

i meant to say, you won't be fat
your building a little baby apartment
and hopefully it's not my kid where he moves out and leaves all his crap behind
:)

have you had strangers touch your tummy yet?
i'm so glad i never had that!

Anonymous said...

Mikal, you NEVER had a stranger walk up to you and put their hands on your tummy? Wow! I got belly-fondled so often I lost count. And I remember some woman driving her car on Hillsborough Ave in downtown Tampa, hanging her head out of her car window, to yell out to me, "When is your baby due???" Huh?

But then, people have always stopped me for directions - my whole life - even if I'm just visiting a place, so this woman was maybe looking for directions, too - get lost!

mikal said...

actually, no, i NEVER had anyone I didn't know touch my belly! I kept bracing myself for it because every baby book warns against it, but it never happened.
I did get a ton of "are you having twins" or "wow your huge!" which was awful enough
i guess after my annoyed look, people were scared to touch my belly
:D
people don't ask me for directions
people DO assume I work in whatever store I am trying to shop in...
maybe that was their precursor to "and by the way, can you direct me to the office supply aisle?"

Sarah Reckess said...

so far no one has touched the belly who I didn't know - but I am starting to get a lot of "sizing up" stares by people who know I'm pregnant. What I mean is that when they see me, they immediately stare at the belly to see how much bigger I've gotten since the last time we saw each other - and this even includes my classmates, who I see constantly!