The Gal's Got It

"It" in this case can have several meanings.

I may have gotten hit on today. I'm not quite sure.

I was walking out of the G building on campus after having completed my contractual obligation to advise students on what courses they should, should not, can, and cannot take for Spring 2012, which begins on Monday, which means not many choices are available at this point, which means the entire process that included an hour-long orientation was daunting and exhausting. I was walking from a completely different building that connects to G, so by the time I walked out of G, I was

panting

bundled up in my big red coat

wearing sunglasses that cover most of my face

bogged down with

my insulated lunch bag that contained an empty Trader Joe's Mocha Yogurt container, a spoon, an empty container that had held carrots, my empty blender bottle that had contained water, and my empty travel mug that had contained green tea, and

an inter-office envelope containing advisement paraphrenalia and my pencil case.

Bundled and bogged down, I was simply a breathless mess.

As I came down the G stairs, I caught a glimpse of someone walking by, looking up at me. The glimpse lasted half a second because of a large wall that blocks the stairs. You know when you sit in those concert seats with partial view? It was like that.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, the guy was passing me by. He stopped and asked, Excuse me, do you know what time it is?

Because of my expertise in being single stemming from all those years when I was so, I know that this is a pick up line. Because I am an avid movie-watcher, I know that this is super secret agent spy code, but no one swarmed and no one attacked and no one got arrested, so this scenario is way off-base. I also know, as a member of a functional society, that is is also a question people ask when they, say, need to know the time.

Now, I don't wear a watch. Even if I did, I wouldn't have been able to look because of all my stuff. Seriously, for a small person, I carry a whole lot. Anyway, I couldn't look at my cell either, which is what I rely on for the time along with the kindness of strangers, as this young man was doing in this case. I did, however, know I was supposed to leave advisement at 12:45. So I looked at the sky and said, Somewhere around 12:45 I'm pretty sure.

I headed on my way as he nodded thanks, so I was not looking at him when I heard him respond to the time. Because I have a serious hearing problem, I can't be too sure of what I heard, but I'm pretty sure he said, yeah, good lookin.

That's totally hitting on me, right?

That did not register until I was halfway across the street. I did not turn around. I wasn't sure how to respond to that at all. I also wasn't sure how it was a proper response to my giving him the time.

Which brings me to other things he may have actually said:

(1) Thank you. -- this does not sound anything like "yeah, good lookin" but it's a much more sensible response.

(2) It's all good. -- I don't think people say this any more, and I don't think it really applies in this kind of conversation. It would apply if, say, I had run into him and knocked his books on the floor and apologized and he could say, "It's all good," in response. Here, I gave him the time. I didn't harm him.

(3) Good luck. -- I don't know why he would wish me good luck in this situation. He has no idea why I might need luck. I was walking across campus, so maybe he was wishing me well in my travel, but probably not.

So I'm thinking he really said yeah, good lookin. Which means that even sweaty, messy, and wrapped up in a bubble coat, this gal's got the mojo.

Therefore, the "It" here may refer to the ego I have, thinking I was hit on when I wasn't.

The "It" may refer to the obvious sex appeal I have despite my big red coat.

Me in my big red coat.

Most likely, however, the "It" refers to the obsessive nature of my interactions with the world. Most people would not be analyzing a simple interaction with a stranger that happened during the day. This gal is not most people.