I’m not very handsome, but then, they say, character is more important than looks. I hope my character is better than my looks! I’m old, wrinkled and with big bags under my eyes.
It reminds me of that old ditty: 
As a beauty I pose as no star;
there are others more handsome by far;
But my face I don’t mind it,
for I am behind it;
’tis the ones in the front get the jar.
My driver’s licence photo (taken years ago) is particularly awful. They insist on taking it against a white background and with white hair I look as if I am a pin-head. And you can see my under-eye bags, which have grown larger over the years. They don’t encourage you to smile, and with my white beard, grown since, I have no idea what I would look like now. The attached picture was taken 11 years ago, so you can imagine what I look like these days, with my white beard added!
There’s a story behind my white hair. When I first went to Ethiopia, as a surgeon, they called me the ‘baby doctor’. Not because I was a paediatric surgeon but because I looked so young. I was in fact 28. But I prayed for a few white hairs to look a bit more distinguished, and, obviously, didn’t stop praying about that issue soon enough. I am not going to dye it.
But that is all a diversion. I was called handsome once.
I arrived very early at the airport in Addis one day, because the taxi driver whom I always used had to get some kids to school on time and he could only take me early. Reception was closed, so I sat reading. Maybe half an hour later two young ladies arrived to open the Emirates counter. By their dress one was obviously Orthodox, the other a Muslim lady. The Orthodox lady got her place setup first so I went there. I was in my late 70’s, so was surprised, for two reasons, when the young Muslim lady said ‘you’re a handsome man’. Surprised because she was a Muslim and I an infidel and because I thought that she must need glasses.
The girl not serving me said ‘he’s not handsome, he’s just old; he’s not good looking!’ I will love the memory of the other girl for ever as she responded ‘0ld or not, he’s handsome!’ I love her, and always will. Even though I still she think she needs glasses.
Dominic Cartier
So funny. This reminds of a time a few years ago when I lived in London. I used to ride my bike along the towpaths beside the Thames. One day I heard a child say “daddy, daddy, look at that. A fat old lady is riding a bike”. I looked around for the fat old lady riding a bike, and realised she was talking about me. Her father was most apologetic.
I’m sure the child had poor vision!
Obviously she recognises quality when she sees it. All driver’s licence photo are unflattering, but I have an old passport pic that is even worse.
I suspect that the girl serving you was just looking at your passport which far from flattering and the Muslim girl was looking at you. Problem solved.