Today I met a certain co-worker in person for the first time. We had talked over the phone roughly a dozen times, so we were openly curious to meet each other.
“Funny, I pictured you as a brunette,” she said over lunch, smiling at my tight blond bun. Generally speaking, I’m buttoned-up, and will only laugh politely or with good reason. I strive to maintain a professional air.
“That’s really funny, because I pictured you as a blond,” I replied, motioning to her neat brown bob. Generally speaking, she’s assertively friendly, always with something to say, with a quick and easy laugh.
It wasn’t until after lunch that the exchange struck me as not so innocent. Did my assumption imply that I thought her dumb? Did her assumption imply that she thought me mousy?
After more analysis, I decided what she meant to say was “Funny, I pictured you ugly,” and what I meant to say was “Funny, I pictured you fat.” (Now that’s a very blond thing to say.)
