My nose, today speech.

I have never thought, my nose could bother me. From childhood, my freckles did bothered me, they come out so brown at the first sun! I tried to do all to get them fade. But my nose?

 I was separating from my husband, father of my two children. One morning he looked me up and down and told me: if you live me, your life as woman is finished. No one would have you any more. Too old? I was 40. True, my husbands lover was not yet 18. Age is relative. Finding someone to prove him wrong, was not easy. 

Suddenly, I found a picture he took of me in profile. Is this me? With this long nose? I had two free weeks from work and was preparing my phD, went to visit my father and rehearse my speech. There, I told my sorrow to my nasty stepmother. “No problem, I will find you a doctor to fix it, make you fast a nice nose” she knew how my father would react to it.

“No way you touch your nose!”

“I am adult know, you will not tell me what to do!”

“Touch your nose and I will disherit you!”

It was late, but I went away crying, to my aunt, who lived not far. She was seventy and lucky, her husband died, and a year later, a charming, 80 years old gentlemen fall in love with her. He was there too, making her dinner. 

At the dessert, he asked me why I am so sad. I told him my sorrow, about my divorce, my nose, my father.

“Your nose is part of your personality, do not loose it. It is great, makes you interesting and charming.”

“But the men...”

“Do you look at them?”

“Look”

“Choose the one you want, look at him so he understands he has chance, then look away. Let him come after you, fight for you, think it was his idea.”

“Ah.”

“You will have as many as you want. And keep your interesting face”

I kept my nose. My stepmother lost this battle. A few month later, I got to USA and Toastmasters and also learned to listen, and yes, many men come after me and I did not feel old any more. My nose never bothered me any more.

Each of us have our personality, enjoy it as we are. 

First told in London, as level 1 speech "any speech any style".