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Hopes - I'm really sorry about what happened in class. That really sucks. I've had experiences like that, being the odd one out in a group - mine was usually some idiot bloke having no compunction either saying or acting like a woman had no business being in my job. I'm going to tell you a story, if you'll bear with me.
When I started out in my career, I did live sound. It meant being part of a road crew. I was the only woman roadie in the whole country. One of the bands I worked for opened for Midnight Oil for a bunch of intimate shows they did at 1500 people size venues. The opening band's crew is expected to become part of the headline band's crew and load in the gear and set up with them. The front of house guy (me) is considered the crew leader, and is expected to rig (plug in) the main bands entire system. At the first gig, when I walked up to one of the semi trucks full of gear with my gloves on ready to start hauling stuff in, at least 3 of the Oils crew loudly expressed their displeasure at having me on the tour, wondering why they had to be stuck with me who wouldn't be able to do anything. It was extremely intimidating. Midnight Oil was the biggest band in the country, and they were an exceptional crew.
Anyway, in those days I could carry a lot of gear, up stairs, whatever. I rigged their huge PA perfectly, no mistakes. My band's set sounded great. It became evident I knew what I was doing. I started to get some begrudging respect from the main crew. A couple of shows in, no problems.
We were doing shows in venues that would keep the crowd after the band finished and have a dance floor and music playing after. We had to load out through the crowd. They were usually wasted by then. We had finished packing all the cables their roadcases and I was pushing them through the dance floor to the stairs where the loaders would take them and pack them in the truck. There were about 20 such cases. I had been doing this for a bit when I turned around and the whole of Midnight Oil's crew in their entirety were standing on the edge of the stage, looking down in my direction and slowly banging their fists into their hand. I didn't know what was going on (you don't stop working during a load out).
Suddenly a guy and a couple of his presumed mates up and runs from behind me, out the stage door and down the stairs. I walked up on stage and asked what was going on. One of the Oil's crew, Jock, says "Didn't you see those guys behind you trying to grab your ass while you were pushing those cases out? We just thought we'd stand here for a minute. Nobody's going to hassle you while you're on our crew."
So here's the moral of my story. Just keep being you and doing what you do. Don't let the kids intimidate you. They'll come around. Don't try and move classes because they don't seem to accept you in the beginning. Once they find out how fabulous you are, they'll change their tune, and they'll have more respect for you for hanging in there and proving them wrong than they would if you let them get to you. And what's more, you'll have a lot of respect for you. You go girl. Just remember the CDMWR are standing on the stage behind you.
I just stumbled upon a great frugal living tip, ladies!
I bought Dr. Bronners Peppermint Castile liquid soap for a non-toxic pesticide. Just mix a teaspoon with a quart of water and spray. But that's not the brilliant discovery.
If anyone just wants to try it out, the Vitamin Shoppe has small bottles for around $6. The big ones are...like...$40, but at a spoonful per gallon would last you into the next century.
I'm still trying to get over it and find some peace within myself. We were having a class discussion about politics that was very respectful and extremely interesting. Suddenly, this kid raised his hand and told the teacher that he wished I wouldn't be permitted to participate because I'm out of touch with his generation and he's not interested in hearing anything I have to say because I'm so old. I think I could have handled that alone, but then a few other little snots chimed in and agreed with him!
I think this would have been a grand time for the instructor to launch into an impromptu discussion of prejudice. No way he would have gotten away with saying he didn't want to hear from you because you weren't a member of the same race, or because you were female, or because you were, say, Mormon or Jewish.
Anyone else here Mother Confessor? A friend just called. An hour on the phone listening to all her problems.
I'm going to start charging by the hour just for saying, "Yeah. Uh, huh. No. Yes. Really?"
Oh, yes! I went through caller ID a couple of days ago and the last 35 calls were from all from someone who wanted something from me. I'm like...I used to bill Medicare $100 an hour for this, people! (Okay, so they only reimbursed our group $30, so we ate most of it, but that's another story.)
Zim- I haven't seen my nosy neighbor since that day because I took the volvo to school on Thursday and her family came in on Friday (too many cars parked in her driveway). I have to wait and see on Tuesday.
How old is MIL rbk? I am starting to see that my mother can't find anything after she puts it down either. I have to try and not make a big deal out of it, because she will then worry that she's losing her mind. It's enough that I worry about the same thing.
Sounds like you might be in for a loooong visit. Shoes on the bar stool? Ew.
She is in her early to mid 60's, and she's been doing this for a few years at least. It used to just be her glasses and her watch. Now I don't even think she knows what she's missing. The shoes are still on the bar stool. I bet she has no idea.
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