My week started off with a little self-esteem boost. I had an older female client tell me I had gorgeous facial features. My eyes, nose, etc. She thought I was European and was completely surprised when I told her my background is Mexican. At first I was a little thrown off by her comments but then I decided to accept them and feel awesome.
The next day I had an older couple come in. The wife had some banking to do and her husband was just their to keep her company. While the wife was with my employee doing her banking her husband sat at my desk and the first thing out of his mouth was "You have very interesting features. Your eyes and nose are very interesting." At first I was like "Um okay... thank you?" Then I switched to my usual "Yeah I know, I have big eyes." He responded with "No I'm serious. I'm an artist - a painter. It's in my nature to pay attention to these things. Your nose is called an aguileña nose. If you go visit my house you'll see that the women in my paintings have your eyes and nose. When my wife saw you she said 'Look at her, just like the women you paint'." Oh wow, really? Here's an artist that's telling me I remind him of his paintings. I was totally flattered! Um but Mr. Client, what is an aguileña nose? The artist client of mine tells me that he's from Mexico and that my type or shape of nose is referred to that way after an eagles upper side of his beak. Okay cool I thought. I then told him that when I was a child I always dreamed of getting a nose job. I hated the bump on my nose. Mr. Client was horrified when I said this. He said my nose is who I am. My nose reflects my strong character and determination just like the eagle. "There's a reason why you are here as a manager. You likely have a strong character, sense of self, and determination." Wow, he summed me up with just looking at my nose! Lol! All joking aside, he really gave me a lot to think about because until that day I sometimes still wished the bump would be gone. But not anymore. That conversation shifted something within me. I am beautiful enough to paint. My eyes are beautifully large. My nose is unique and strong and... beautiful.
We continued a long conversation about art and his background. As I mentioned earlier, he's Mexican and grew up in Mexico painting. He told me he met all the greats, the maestros, like Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Siquieros, Orozco. He even studied under some of them. That conversation led to a discussion about Mexico City and the beauty of it's history and architecture. Then we continued on to writers and poets. Which led to our last discussion topic - Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz. The first woman to publish an argument for Women's Rights in the 1600's. The next documented argument wasn't for more than a century. That's over 100 years!!
I could keep going and going about our conversation and my initial research on Sor Juana but I will not. That belongs in another post. What I wanted to share with everyone first was how I finally came to be proud of my nariz aguileña. Mr. Client did not leave until I promised him that I would not change my nose. "Don't worry" I said, "I love my nose now." Thank you Mr. Client!
xoxo.... Nariz Aguileña Girl ;)
