What was the best compliment you’ve received?
This is a reply to the prompt above.
The best compliment I ever received wasn’t about my looks, eye color, my singing, my style, or even my cooking (which, for the record, deserves its own award).
No—someone, or rather multiple people, always told me this. However, one time, someone really stood out. Someone looked me straight in the eye, like through my soul, and said, “You’re actually really smart.” Actually. Really!
As if I had been running an elaborate long-term social experiment, pretending to be confused by simple things. As if every “wait, what?” I’ve ever said was just method acting. I switch to my Nigerian mode of response: Okay, oo.
Even if I didn’t know how to respond, I like to think I’m smart. Should I always say thank you? Should I ask what gave it away? Or should I start explaining something complicated right away, like why the skies are blue and the grass is green, to prove them right? If I remember correctly, on this particular occasion, I think I just nodded and said, “Yes… Well, the rumors are true.” With a smile, of course. And my responses usually come in instalments: thaa-nnkk-yooou.
But honestly, those moments stick with me. Not because I didn’t think I was smart — but because it felt like it wasn’t that deep. Like all those random facts, late-night overthinking sessions, and deep dives into things no one asked about, they suddenly had an audience. Well, I’ve done more interesting stuff: faced off with cactuses, stalked a roadrunner in New Mexico, made friends with hummingbirds, and had more face-offs with a resident bobcat in California. I’ve written love letters to mountains. You’ve no idea, but that may explain a lot, too.
So yeah, best compliment ever:
“You’re actually really smart.” I mean, I do give myself compliments sometimes—like on my ability, actually, to sleep a lot and how I’d win gold if sleeping became a sport in the Olympics. Anyhow, I’ve been riding that high ever since—quietly, of course. Gotta keep the mystery alive. 🫢
