Evening commute

[magid]

I was walking my usual route home from the T. There was a kid (15? 16?) ahead of me, who stopped to do something to a tree. I looked to see what he was doing, and he held up a leaf that had been there. Which lead to conversation: he asked me how old I was. I gave him my standard answer, which is "tell me how old you think I am, and I'll tell you." He said he couldn't tell, because I look young (I do? Well, yay.), but the gray in my hair confused the matter. I said that gray can happen at any age, then answered his question. He muttered something about 16 years younger, which put him in his early 20s (which he did not look, at all). So it was a little bit less disconcerting for him to ask next if I were single. Yes. Why? I didn't quite know how to answer that, so I just said no one had asked me, and left it at that. At which point he said something about how foolish they were, since I was obviously a nice person (? [I mean, based on this conversation?]). So, would I marry him? Er, no. Could he call me sometime? We could be friends... This is not the first time this has happened, and I still haven't figured out a graceful way of saying "I'm sure you're a nice person, but no thanks" without feeling foolish.
A pleasant surprise, though, to be so complimented.

Comments

[fairdice.livejournal.com]

This is not the first time this has happened...

How broad a notion of "this" are we talking about here? People deciding you're manifestly a nice person? -- well, yes, I buy that -- some folks (or some pairs of folks) are like that. But the marriage proposal seems, er, more surprising...

"this"

[magid.livejournal.com]

Teen-aged guys (or at least, guys who look young enough to be assumed to be teens) starting a conversation on the street, then asking if we can be friends, get together again, etc. The marriage proposal is a new wrinkle.

In re nice: well, thanks, though I don't feel like I radiate niceness in a few minutes' conversation about age and marriage status...

[ichur72.livejournal.com]

That's strange, but kind of cute.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Yes. Not a good basis for a longer relationship, however, even just friends...

[ichur72.livejournal.com]

Very true. It may have been kind of cute, but it is still an odd modus operandi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether to say that's cute or scary!

[magid.livejournal.com]

I would've felt a bit nervous had he continued walking with me to my house; I was already planning to walk past it he done so.