Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Sepia Saturday #160: A Wolf Whistle



In my photofantasy interpretation of this week's scene, I suspect that a good looking woman just walked by and is exiting the scene stage right, as it were. Our gentleman observer is gazing intently in that direction and if I'm not mistaken I can see the trace of whistle pucker on his lips. Perhaps he'd be too much of a gentleman to wolf whistle, but his wild side may have been momentarily unleashed. Having known some car-obsessed men, I am surer than sure that he has no interest in the truck.

Let me be clear: I am not an expert on the wolf whistle. The last time I was the recipient of one was some time ago, on my 50th birthday. I was feeling a little down in the dumps as fifty had not yet been sugar-coated and re-positioned as the new thirty. It was just plain fifty and you had to stand up and take it like a man. A big milestone, it seemed  perilously close to the end of the road. I was in Seattle, filling my car at a gas station; the fog was thick and admittedly, there was distance involved -  the whistler being about 50 feet away. Wafting through the murky air toward me (I did check around to make sure I was the only female in the vicinity), that unmistakeable whistle landed right smack in the middle of my flagging ego. The blues were dispatched forthwith and my mood turned around. I walked over to the whistler, thanked him for his attention and told him how he'd made my 50th birthday. I didn't realize at the time it would be the final whistle or I would have been even more effusive!

When I got home that night and coyly told my gear-head husband the story he looked at me and without missing a beat had the gall to suggest the whistler might have been expressing admiration for the candy apple red Pantera (his) that I was driving! Don't you wonder what marriage handbook he was reading? I can tell you hell hath no fury like a 50 year old woman whose whistles been taken away. After spending the night sleeping in the car my EX husband had to agree that he might have chosen something else to say.
  
It only took a decade or so for me to forgive my ex-husband. He had long since driven out of my life in his Pantera and I was ensconced in a new life with a BMW.  Sixty, the new fifty, came along much more easily and I happily settled into being a senior. Once in a while I think nostalgically about that final whistle and consider  "paying it forward" by whistling at an aging man. When I'm alone or out in the grove, I practice and can state with some confidence that I can squeeze out a pretty good wolf whistle. One day, the perfect situation will arise and I'll be ready to lay the sound out on some older guy, shuffling along in the nursing home or on the putting green.  I'm shooting for something like this....

Wolf Whistle 



Oh, oh...have I said too much?
 




30 comments:

  1. Now this is a clever spin on the theme and a pure joy to read. In fact, I've read it at least three times now and am still laughing. Keep puckering! You don't want to get out of shape.

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  2. If you are in need of some older guy, I'll be happy to volunteer... :)
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post, Helen!

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    1. ~~^~ <--- print equivalent to a wolf whistle. Just learned this symbol from anyjazz.

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  3. Funny story. Maybe if I were driving a cute red car, some guy would whistle at me too.

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  4. Now that is a funny read! This is so well written Helen, and a nice twist on Alan's prompt.

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  5. LOL. I remember getting very annoyed when we 20-year-olds were whistled at as we walked past a construction site. I've changed my attitude since then and take it as a compliment.
    Does the younger generation whistle, or is it seen as NPC?

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    1. I think it's NPC now. I've read that some construction companies include a ban on whistling as part of their company ethic.

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  6. A whistle at 50? You rock! I wish I could get one too when I reach that age. The last one I had was like Boobook's - in my 20s and past a construction site and I was also very annoyed. Thanks for the welcome to SS.

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    1. ~~^~ <--- print equivalent to a wolf whistle.

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  7. Ahahah!!! Helen, you've made me laughing hearty! Beautiful post, really funny! :D

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  8. There's laughter so loud coming from me, you probably can hear it where you are, and I bet if you just whistle, I'll hear it too...but of course you'd rather save it for the right guy, so I understand. Wasn't it nice to hear that one directed your way! Good for you going over and thanking the man, and remembering it so well!

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    1. I appreciated it even if my ex was right and it was really for the car.

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  9. You can never say too much Helen. A splendid piece of writing, thoroughly enjoyable.

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  10. A great piece of writing, Helen, However I'm a bit confused how can a lady take a wolf whistle like a man?

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  11. I'm still laughing. That was such a funny story. I still say you should write a book.
    I haven't been whistled at in a while but sometimes men in cars do a double take when I drive by. I think they first think I'm a blond and then "drat, it was some white haired lady". and they speed off. It's happened several times.
    Nancy

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  12. That was just waaaay too much fun to read. I can't remember when my last whistle was but I know it was a very long time ago. I haven't walked past a construction site lately, though.
    Barbara.

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    1. ~~^~ <--- print equivalent to a wolf whistle...until you get to a construction site.

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  13. Very good Helen, thanks for the laugh.

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  14. What a fun read. I am looking forward to more of your writing.

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  15. What a great story! I loved it.

    Kathy M.

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  16. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but only if you've the imagination to see them. Great vision, great story

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  17. Excellent choice, exiting from a hubby that would suggest the whistle was for a car, and leaving him in the dust of a BMW was so worth it! What a different take this was, for Sepia Sat. but I tell you it was most enjoyable and what a storyteller you are to weave all this from one man's gaze! Bravo!

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  18. Anonymous6:53 PM

    I like how you took the prompt in a different direction, nice! Sepia Saturday has so many excellent participants. :-)

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  19. Anonymous6:48 AM

    What a fun post to read! Thank you.

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  20. Well written and FUNNY!

    ~~^~ <--- print equivalent to a wolf whistle.

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    1. Who knew there was a symbol for the whistle. So now I can add them to my email?? Here I've been wasting my time using the ultra-tame smiley face.
      Thanks for the update.

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  21. Gee, I'm wondering if your hubby is my hubby's brother! That sounds just like what he would say. I think he would back track faster than yours though

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  22. No, you've said "just enough"..
    I would be the type to say too much!!
    :D~
    Better the putting green than the nursing home,
    as at least there, you know he can still swing...
    ;)~
    HUGZ

    PS: I can't whistle a damn thing...
    :(~

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  23. HELEN! I Send You A Thousand Digital Whistles From Yorkshire!

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