The Big Red Snoz Reorientation

"Snoz" is slang for "nose", but of course if you remember Jimmy Durante you would know that. His nasal capacity was capable of hiding small warships. But he turned his snoz into a big part of his fame.

Currently my SNOZ is Durante size, "Rudolph" red, flaking like mom's pie crust, and as ugly as an old horse's backside.

I look in the mirror and say, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the biggest snoze of all?" and my mirror cackles back in glee, "You are oh great olfactory one".

The other day my wife said, "Stop being so nosy, Larry." She actually meant, "Can't you do anything with your snoz?"

The problem is I have been rubbing chemo creme on my facial appendage both morning and night. It has swollen and redden and dried my nose beyond recognition.

Small children now point at my snoz while running in terror to their mothers.

I used to be the guy who gets stopped on Rodeo Drive and asked for my autograph..."Richard Gere, can we have your autograph" (Of course I sign it, take pictures, before saying, "My real name is Larry").

But not any more. I walked through Nordstrom's and all 12 fragrance models refused to squirt me with their smell good juice! You know you are looking ragged, when that happens.

But it has been good for me (in a kind of masochistic manner of speaking). My pride in my looks has been replaced with empathy for those who get "looked" at everyday... those who have ailments, disfigurements, abnormalities, that cause people to do a double take before trying to look like they aren't still looking.

It's reorienting me. It's challenging how much of my confidence is in how I look...or how much of my self-value is in how others look at me. I want to call out, "hey wait! Get to know me before you dismiss me because I look like a Rudolph stand in!"

My value and security are in how Christ views me...not in the views that others have of me.

The Snoz joked his way to Hollywood fame...I don't know if that's because he was secure and could laugh at his snoze size or because he was insecure and had to joke to hide his pain.

I want my temporary snoz to do permanent work in my heart. "Oh God may I be so secure in you that, my appearance does not affect my all out living for you! Reorient me to your opinion alone!"