[hijack] Kiffa–wow. Just out of curiosity–what do you do that you find yourself at diplomatic cocktail parties with the poets laureate of different countries? Do you have any other good diplomacy- or foreign-service-related stories?[/hijack]
I applied for a writing job at People magazine a few years agom, sent them a bunch of my writing samples. Got a letter back telling me that my writing style “was not right for People magazine.”
Had the letter framed.
A few years ago I met my 15 year old cousin for the first time. This was a big event for me because I can count the number of people I am related to by blood on one hand. I kept staring at her, studying her appearance for any physical traits that might be from my mother’s side of the family.
She was staring back at me, I realized I might be making her uncomfortble so I explained, “I don’t mean to be rude and stare at you, but you have the most unusual eye color I have even seen. Your eyes are absolutely beautiful.”
She blushed, then giggled, “That is SO wild you just said that. I was just thinking you had the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen! I was wishing mine looked just like yours.”
We had a moment of bonding over that, and then heard my mom and my uncle laughing. My uncle said to my cousin, “Well you are going love this then. Your aunt (my mother) and I were just saying how amazing it is that the two of you have the exact same eye color. And it is indeed very rare, the only other person we have ever seen with that unusual combination was our mother. And even though she died over 50 years ago, whenever we look into your eyes, or ‘Grits’ eyes, we know part of Mother has carried on, and that makes us feel very close to her, even after all these years.”
That was when my cousin and I noticed my uncle and mother had tears in their eyes, which made the two of us tear up.
So now when someone tells me I have beautiful eyes, I don’t just shrug it off, and think they were just being nice. I think of my cousin’s unusual eyes, and say sincerely, “thank you, I am told they are are gift from my grandmother,” which makes me feel close to a woman I have never met. I think she would like that.
Two come to my mind. An older male co-worker at a temp job told me, “You know, you are a real lady.” That’s how people described my grandmother. It bucks me up on days when I feel petty and mean and very ungracious.
When I was in grad school, I worked as a research assistant for one of the history professors. He was very demanding and particular and generally a pain in the neck. I didn’t like him, but I always did the best I could for him. When I graduated, he told me that in fifteen years of teaching I was the best assistant he had ever had.
“When I have a conversation with you, I really have to think.”
When I was taking mechanical drawing in middle school, my wonderfully gruff 50-ish male teacher pulled me aside after our last class and told me I had a ton of talent, and that I should try to go into this field. I really wish I knew his name now; I’ve never forgotten that compliment and I would like to tell him. On the strength of that regard I took two years of mechanical drafting and one year of architectural drawing in high school. I did well, and tried to go into the best architecture school in our state. Didn’t make it, don’t know why – I had killer references and great test scores. Oh well. sigh
A friend of mine told me sincerely that I was funny, after I had been cracking jokes and making my group laugh. I don’t think anyone has told me that I have a good sense of humor before because I’m usually so quiet and reserved. That has stuck with me.
I’ve also been told by two near-strangers that I have the bluest eyes they’d ever seen, and the greenest eyes they’d ever seen. That felt good too 
I overheard a musician whom I was very much “in-like” with (who happened to be blind) ask a friend what I looked like. The friend said: “She’s just beautiful.”
In seventh grade, I nearly failed pre-algebra. After a lot of hard work, I brought my grade up from a C- to an A-. At the end of the year the head of school sent me a letter congradulating me for improving so much. I was so impressed that someone who runs a school that goes from kindergarten to 12th grade noticed my grades and took the time to congradulate me.
After a blues gig that I played (organ), an elderly African-American gentleman came up and told me I played like I was black. That was very cool.
This is an excellent thread! (How’s that for a compliment, Gymnopithys?)
Last year, during a short speech, a teenage girl I know said that in the past, sometimes she had worried that becoming a mother and staying home to care for her children would cut off her opportunities for using her mind. She said that I had shown her that that wasn’t the case at all, that I used my mind all the time and that she admired me for that example. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about me.
My most gratifying compliment came from my mother:
“You are my life’s work, and I can die happy with what I’ve done for the world.”
It’s a humbling moment when you realize the effort, tears, and time that another person has put into helping you to be who you are, and even more overwhelming to realize they are satisfied beyond measure with the result.
Thanks for the first laugh I’ve had all day .
Second best ever ! Thanks, Hoops.
I once sent some writing samples to The New Yorker. They cancelled my subscription.
Second best compliment ever: being compared to Robert Benchley by a very talented, accomplished and funny professional writer/editor. This is edged out only by the very best compliment ever: “I do.”
A friend once told me I seemed enlightened in some way. It was maybe junior year of high school, and what does anybody know about enlightenment then, but still, it’s a part of myself I’d like to have.
In December I was voted ‘Forum Memer of the Year’ at another site where I post. That in itself was an enormous compliment. We do kind of an ‘awards show,’ and the presenter said “Marley seems to be able to work both sides of any argument/debate and be equally convincing.” I presume that was a compliment and not a comparison to John Kerry or something. 
These people don’t know I post here, which makes it all the more meaningful.
Last month, I had an article published in a music magazine that was kind of a dream assignment in that I dreamed all of it up and made it happen. It was a large feature (4500 words) where I spent some time with, watched, and interviewed a band pretty extensively and approached writing about them in a way nobody had before. Last week, my father relayed me a message from their singer: I “captured the essence of the band.” I’ve gotten my share of good reactions to the piece (I think one other person said exactly the same thing), but mostly it feels good to have made something happen and for even the subjects to get just what I was trying to do.
I don’t know if it’s the “most gratifying compliment I’ve ever gotten,” but last night my fiance turns to me and says, “If I didn’t see it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed anyone could be as sexy as you are.”
It was a really sweet thing to say and just at the perfect moment. He rocks.
Someone reviewing my Movieline column once called me a “second-rate Dorothy Parker.” Hell, even being called a fifth-rate Dorothy Parker would have made my day!
My first boss was helping me out by calling some influential friends of his in the industry, trying to help me find a new job in another city. He said to one contact, “She’s been my right and left hand for five years. She won’t let you down.”
A few weeks ago, I was in the checkout of the grocery store with my two kids (a three-year-old and a three-month-old, not the easiest kids in the world to handle in the grocery store). The lady in front of me turned and said, “Your little boys are so well-behaved! I didn’t even realize there were kids in the store, because they’re so quiet!”
The system admin here refers to me as Genius-Boy and will drop by to bounce ideas off me whenever he or someone else in IT is having dificulties with something.
About a month ago, after sex all my wife said to me was thank you. That made me feel invincible.
A friend once said as part of a formal introduction: “She’s the most non-judgemental person I know”.
Having spent my life trying to not be like my mother who may be the MOST judgemental person on earth, I was extremely gratified to hear that.