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| "Schnozola" aka Jimmy Durante |
There was a time in my life when I was mortified that I had such a large......nose.
Growing up my father rarely missed an opportunity to remind me that I had a big nose. I don't ever remember him calling me by my given name ("Ronnie" at that time, I changed my first name to "Ron" when I went into the Army). He called me "Beak." Yes, he was that kind of father. What we call a "Boy Named Sue" father.
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| Me and my nose graduation picture 1959 |
Raised in a small town and being reminded of my deformity almost daily, I had very low self esteem, although that term wasn't known to be at that time (the Fifties). I just thought I was a mess.
I hated it when a photo was taken of my profile, showing my "beak" in all its glory. I felt like that old cold commercial where the whole head is a nose.
" Schnoz", which is defined as slang, a nose, especially a large one" was another affectionate term Pop used to lay on me. However, he did leave out some other favorites like hooter, snout, nozzle and honker.
So I was pretty well screwed up about my physical appearance when I boarded that Trailways bus at the Philadelphia terminal on a cold January day in 1960 for Ft. Dix, New Jersey.
I remember so well holding my head down after I was seated because I didn't want anybody to notice my big schnoz. Much to my surprise, nobody did!
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| Me, Basic Training - still got the nose but no one noticed - 1960 |
Seriously, I was prepared for humiliation and whatever because of my nose with a face attached and NOTHING HAPPENED.
Guess what? By the time I hit the Reception Company (or rather the Reception Company hit me) at Ft. Dix, I forgot all about my proboscis.
In fact, after a couple of years I actually came to believe that I wasn't that bad looking. Not the most handsome guy in the world, but passable.
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| Me - still with a prominent nose but I think it goes with my face now - maybe my face grew into my nose - 1974 |
And another "in fact", I now am rather proud of my prominent nose. Just goes to show you how things can turn around.
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| Me now - I'm glad I have a "schnoz" - I would rather have one of these than one of those pixie noses - gives me character (I think) Besides, if it works for Owen Wilson it can work for me. |
