Style and Magnetism

Style and Magnetisim

The man with the bigote was not a bigot but a guy with a handlebar mustache. He touched the curled tips and found they were greasy from ketchup and other condiments from his hotdog. I had always wondered what happened when a beard gets slobbered with sauce or clobbered with crumbs. Can you just brush them out in one, clean stroke? And are there beard brushes?

The man with the bigote didn't need any of these devices, however. He simply cleaned the handlebars with his fingertips. He (and the mustache) never stopped being elegant–the grease only served to make its tips curl even more.

You see, bigote means mustache in Spanish, although the man in question was Belgian. And he spoke English, as well as French and Spanish. What a curious mix of cultures and languages! And we both met in Gran Canaria to go to a festival of bands.

The man was a mix of many things, not the least being his clothes. He wore his hodgepodge of styles well. My first impression of him was the contrast of his gray hair with his tanned, muscular legs under a pleated tennis skirt. He said many Canarians (men and women) had complimented him on it, and I could see why...he was confident and it looked good. There was nothing feminine or masculine about it–he wore the skirt for comfort.

This man could carry his style, whatever he chose it to be. It didn't surprise me when he pulled out a 1930s suit with suspenders from his trunk. This was not at odds with his mustache or his clean cut hair style from the turn of the century.

He was definitely a man you could not fail to notice, and noticed he was. He was asked to dance in a video that would take place in front of different monuments after the video makers observed our salsa and swing moves. (He is a retired dance teacher so of course he danced well, but maybe it was his magnetism that spurred them to approach him.) He (we?) received many compliments for his dancing ability.

He was confident in the curiosity that drew people to him and comfortably chatted to everyone. Because I was his guest for the evening, I was caught up in his "mystery" as well–although the discussion was really aimed at him.

To witness true magnetism and be a part of it is a truly amazing experience.

Photo: <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/pexels-2286921/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1867788">Pexels</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1867788">Pixabay</a>

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi