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Andra Watkins

A Feather In Her Cap

When does a girl become a woman? Develop those fabled feminine wiles? Is it during wide-eyed, chub-cheeked infanthood? Her inaugural surf of the red wave? Maybe it happens the first time she, um...........logs her First Time. Or maybe it's the first time she enjoys it.

When does a girl become a woman? Develop those fabled feminine wiles? Is it during wide-eyed, chub-cheeked infanthood? Her inaugural surf of the red wave? Maybe it happens the first time she, um………..logs her First Time. Or maybe it’s the first time she enjoys it.

Whatever the provenance of True Womanhood, some girls have it.

And I.

Do not.

July found me. Sitting on an ancient velveteen sofa. At the wrong end of a pointy tool. Two minutes later, my red hair was spangled with a lime green feather, affixed at the root.

I looked at Cayleigh.

She’s eleven.

“Go over there to MTM and tell him he needs to get a hair feather, too.”

MTM.

The modernist-minimalist-all-black-and-weird-glasses-wearing-architect.

Cayleigh rocked back and forth, unsure of her feminine wiles. “Why should I do it?’

“Because. He won’t be able to say no to you.”

When she waved a feather of indigo blue, it floated through the air.

And affixed itself.

To MTM’s hair.

He wore it for twenty-four hours.

Because that’s what feminine wiles force men to do.

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If you look closely at the photo, you can see the feather in his hair.

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When do feminine wiles begin, Dear Reader?

UPDATED: The Ask.

the ask

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52 Comments

  1. I have, if nothing else, feminine wiles, and no one to practice on. (Okay that’s an exaggeration. Let’s just say I am filled with wiles and not enough outlets for the wiling.)

    I think you’re born with it, like many personality traits, and then it’s nurtured or not through the years. I’ve been wiling away since I was 5 or 6.

    1. I read something you wrote recently about listening. In some ways, it was honestly wily, if that makes sense. 🙂

  2. Cayleigh definitely has it. Joey was willing to get a feather also.

  3. wonderful move mtm. and you are born with those wiles.

  4. Ha. Ha. You totally have those wiles my dear. MTM is hopelessly devoted, I think the feather thing only works coming from an 11 year old.

  8. Feminine wiles have no effect on me. Nope. None at all… I am immune to women.

  9. I think sometimes you women underestimate us men. Sometimes it gives us a chuckle to do things like this, and we get to challenge ourselves and others’ definitions of us by doing something a little capricious in nature.

    Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly “wiles-affected” behavior that I have seen, and I would reckon that a high percentage of it is, but as one of the other more capricious in nature types I think I could see where MTM’s head was at during The Feathering.

    1. I wore my feather until last week. Even to presentations and stuff. I was sorry to take it out, but getting my hair re-reded would’ve ruined it.

      It was definitely a challenge for MTM. He wore it handsomely.

      1. did you take any pictures before you took it out?

        “Well, my boyfriend’s in a band
        He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed
        I’ve got feathers in my hair
        I get down to Beat poetry
        And my jazz collection’s rare
        I can play most anything
        I’m a Brooklyn baby
        I’m a Brooklyn baby”

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5xcnjAG8pE

    2. MTM wouldn’t let me record anything for posterity. The closest I got was the picture I posted, where you can barely see it sticking out of his hair.

  10. Feminine wiles are always at least one day ahead of any guys abilty to see them coming. We bascially are born with no chance.

    1. You’re pretty wily, too, Lou. Surprising the lovely Miss TK with that cruise.

  11. Great story! This gives new meaning to “put a feather in your cap!” As for feminine wiles, you were born with them. Ever since our daughter could talk all she needs to do is simply look at her Dad ‘that way’ and say Daddy. Done. All the best. ~Karen~

  12. I learned at a very, very young age. 😉

  13. We’re probably all born with them, but I’m of the opinion that they must be encouraged, or else they will be smothered or totally extinguished.

    Good for MTM to have given encouragement.

  14. Feminine wiles? Hmmmmm…I don’t have that gene. I’m not always sure I always have the feminine gene either since I’d rather spray deet on myself and smell like campfire than spray myself with perfume and paint my nails. No wiles here, Andra. Probably wouldn’t know how to use it if I did.

      1. That was my girlfriend, not me (I don’t usually wear hats). I’ll see if she wants to borrow it to you 🙂

  15. I’m still waiting for my persuasive wiles to kick in. And my come hither stare needs work. Good on Cayleigh for getting MTM to wear a feather! 🙂

    1. My come hither scare always frightened men…….I still don’t know how I managed to land MTM.

  16. I credit much of my career success to those wiles. 😉
    As for when they came…I think I realized I had ’em at around 13 years old.

  17. I definitely think it is something we are born with. I know my youngest is filled with it…Just ask her daddy 🙂

    1. Hee hee. My dad always said no to me before I could even ask him a question.

  18. For me, they started the first time I held their minutes old bodies and they looked up at me. Boom gone!!!!!!

  19. This is o a post for the 4 women I live with. It seems they’ve all become women and I don’t know what each of their moments were.

  20. My feminine wiles are heavily steeped in intelligence and knowing how to get what I want with clear headed thinking. LOL! When I try the “other” ones I just feel silly. I was with a friend the other day who can charm any man, of any age, and I sat there in awe! My “wiles” come out all awkward. 🙂 I do feel a little sorry that I honestly think this true! But Go Cayleigh! What a gem of a photo, Andra.

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