But as the prompt calls for this specifically, I feel obliged to share one with you. I struggled to think of one at all, but when I was talking to my friend Anna I suddenly remembered that her husband Rob was responsible for one of my most gratefully received compliments!

I don’t know how it came about, but Rob started talking about my eyes. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but the gist of it was that he said he liked them. I have never really thought that much about my eyes; I think when I was younger I probably wanted blue eyes, because they always seemed more interesting. But ever since Rob mentioned that he thought they were unusual, I have really appreciated the colour of my eyes!

I debated whether or not to include a close up photo, but the only other option were photos including my eyebrows, which are looking a bit straggly right now. So it’s a close up, and I apologise if close ups of eyes freak you out a bit (they do me). Don’t look at it for too long; eyes start to look really strange the longer you look at them.

As I said, I have never really thought an awful lot about my eyes; if asked I would say that I have green eyes. But as you may be able to tell from the photo above, the colour of the iris is a bluish-green, with the colour around the iris being the real green colour. I have tried to research and work out what that ring around the pupil is called, but I can’t work it out. And I wasn’t sure if everyone has it, but it doesn’t seem so, or at least it’s doesn’t seem to be as pronounced in most people. I think it’s this that caused Rob to say that I had unusual eyes, and I’m pretty sure it was a compliment. He went on about it for a while.

Anyway, all of this analysis is probably indicative of the fact that when I do receive them, I probably don’t accept compliments all that well. Another compliment that I have received at various points in my life (and I really do apologise for how show-offy this is going to sound), is that I am intelligent. My usual response to that is that I am not necessarily intelligent (though I am by no means stupid, just a little lacking in common sense from time to time), I just know stuff. More on knowing stuff in a few days time, though, as there’s a perfect BEDM prompt coming up for it!

• It’s time to come to terms with the fact that not everyone is always going to like you. You’re going to find that sometimes, for no apparent reason, people are just going to take against you. It’s a horrible feeling, but you can’t please everyone. Concentrate on the people who like you despite your foibles.
• Right now, stop what you are doing, find a notebook (you have loads), and start making a note of every book you read. In about fifteen years time you’ll start doing this, realising that you have missed out on about twenty-five year’s worth of books.
• When that hairdresser tells you that she has a great idea for a haircut that will work really well with your super thick hair, don’t listen to her. Be assertive and say no. She’s going to give you a mullet that will literally have people laughing in your face.
• Stop being scared of boys.
• Chances are that you have already started fancying at least one teacher at school. This older man thing is never going away. Get used to it.
• You’re not fat. Stop thinking you are. On the other hand, you’re going to get fat, so it might be best to start adopting a healthy attitude towards food and exercise now.
• Don’t assume that life is going to turn out the way you want it to. You’re going to have to be pro-active about things.

~ Me and my sister at my nephew’s christening; I think I was about thirteen here. My hair is slightly ridiculous (it looks like I am wearing a wig), but it’s nothing a pair of GHDs couldn’t have sorted. Teenagers today don’t know how lucky they are. ~