the id, the ego, & the single misfiring brain cell

The first time Bahar said this to me, I said, "Excuse me?"

She said again, "If you were a bridge, I wouldn't walk on you."

I waited for the insight to come, but it didn't, so I frowned to help it. Frowning wrinkles the brain, see, and thus helps it make connections sometimes, but not in this case. I finally said, "That doesn't sound very nice." 

She said, "No! It's good!" Then she told me a story. 

I'd forgotten the story and the expression until she told Colonel Forstner that "if Diana was a bridge, I wouldn't walk on her" a couple of days ago. Without the requisite explanation, this is not what you want a superior officer thinking about you. I don't, anyway. Not that I want them to walk on me. But anyway. 

Bahar has been in the carpet business for 30 years. Her father was also in the carpet trade. He passed away in 1997. At his funeral, she saw a man she didn't know. The man was older, very well dressed, and wore a huge diamond ring. He was Kurdish. She went over to talk to him, to find out why he was there and what connection he had to her father. The man said this: "I deal in antique carpets. Many years ago, I had financial problems and needed to sell a carpet to meet my debts. I went to seven different people, but none of them would give me what the carpet was worth. I went to your father--who didn't deal in antiques at all--and he said he would pay me what I was asking for the carpet. Further, he would keep it a year, during which time I could come and buy it back for the price he'd paid. If he had it longer than a year, he would sell it. I paid my debts, got the money, and bought the carpet back. If your father was a bridge, I wouldn't walk on him. Further, if you ever need anything--anything at all--call me."

It seems, then, that the connotation is more along the lines of this: I would never step on you even if you were the only way across the water. 

Bahar explained to Col Forstner that I've been there for her and bought her wares when there was no one else around. It was my business that kept her afloat a couple of times, and just bringing her business helped her attitude and [if I may use such a bold word] depression. 

So...it's an exquisite compliment. 

Now if I could only work it into a performance report bullet....

d