Selective Prudishness

This is going to be kind of a strange post. Bear with me.

Okay, I went with a guy to a sports bar to watch a Boston Bruins game a few days ago. I had never gone out with him before. He is a salesperson who regularly visits my workplace. Not long ago he began the practice of joking with me about one thing or the other when he would make a sales call, and the last time he came by, about ten days ago, he asked me out. He seemed like a nice guy so I said yes.

I wore this light, summer dress. Somewhere early on in the evening he told me he liked the dress, and that he thought I had nice legs. I have been told before that I have nice legs, but always as just kind of a casual observation, never as a straightforward compliment by a guy. I did not know quite how to respond. I think I mumbled a thank you, but after a few moments of thought, I realized that I was a little bit annoyed with it, probably wrongly so, but annoyed anyway. It seemed just a little too bold, or maybe a little too sexual. If we had gone out a few times, gotten to know each other, shared a couple of kisses, I would have been flattered by such a compliment, but as it was, it just didn’t hit me quite right.

This brings me to my own personal notion that I can be a prude, or at least a little prudish. For example; I don’t like cussing. When it comes from a woman, it doesn’t seem lady-like and it sounds vulgar, when it comes from a man, it sounds just plain vulgar. I don’t state my objections to someone who is swearing, but that doesn’t mean I like hearing it. I don’t like dirty jokes unless the joke is clever. It has to be something more than just dirty. Also, I dress on the modest side. I don’t generally display a lot of cleavage, for example. I suppose I want to present the standard level of sex appeal, I just don't want it to be obvious or excessive. 

The thing is; I actually like sex. On a couple of occasions I’ve asked, even almost insisted the guy stay overnight, and once it was after we’d gone out only a few times. I can’t be that prudish, can I? And yet I’m bothered by a guy who complements me on my legs. Where’s the consistency? Sometimes I don’t make sense even to myself. My own thinking perplexes me. Pity the poor guy who likes my legs, and then has the candor to say so. He ends up getting crucified in a blog entry.  

This brief moment of self-analysis is now completed. Thanks for bearing with me.