This is my 700th blog, or so my statistics say. Do we get a prize or what? I think we should get a prize. Maybe the 700 Club will send us something. Ha!
The other day, as a 20-year-younger-than-me female co-worker walked past where I was standing, she innocently enough remarked, "you're all dressed up today!" As she walked down the hall, I looked at my clothes, looked at a male co-worker seated near where I was standing and looked down at my clothes again. I was wearing a solid t-shirt (you know, the "nicer" kind that you get an actual department store), nicer jeans than not (cheap but no holes, sparkly things on the back pocket), an old cardigan sweater and my Doc Martens. Confused, I shrugged my shoulders at my my male counterpart; he tilted his head and gave me a quizzical look. My co-worker must have recognized our confusion. She stopped, turned around and exclaimed, "well, you're wearing a t-shirt without slogans or cartoons on it!"
Touche. (You know you've taken casual work clothes to a whole 'nother level when you are considered dressed up because there are no slogans on your t-shirt. There should DEFINITELY be a prize for that.)
This, by the way, is the same 20-year-younger newbie co-worker who during lunch at a fast food restaurant asked "are you're a vegetarian?" when I ordered a veggie burger. When I confirmed my vegetarian status, she laughed and said, "of COURSE you are!" I think the kicker was when I was talking about the wife. I explained that she was a professor at a local college. When Ms. Newbie asked what department she was in, I answered, "in the P.E. department." I thought this girl was going to fall out of the booth. "Of COURSE she is!" she hooted.
Thankfully, I find her entertaining. Others might not be so entertained. I remind myself that she, being twenty years younger than me, has a VERY different view of both me and of the world. She sees me as a very stereotypical, old school kind of gay wad--she sees the stereotypical way of being for someone my age and "lifestyle," as the religious right like to say. Her world is so much different than mine. I am sure I seem SOOOO old to her, so ridiculously OH.EL.DEE.school. I can't help it I come from the day of the mullet, pinkie ring and Melissa Etheridge concert.
I can't even think about how old my nieces must think I am.
I forgot how I am, what I do, how I look. It's easy to do this. I look from the inside, out. I don't think much about me being me. I just am. I see things from behind these thick lenses and keep moving along, humming as I go. So, when someone comes along with this kind of thing, it is always a surprise, when really it's not a surprise at all.
I'm glad to say that I end up surprising this newbie along the way. Just about the time she thinks she has me pegged, I throw a wrench her way.....just the other day, a song came on her radio. I mentioned how I really liked the song and muttered something about their album. The look on her face was priceless. I thought for a moment that I must have a booger on my face. I asked what was the matter--she couldn't believe I knew the band or liked their song. Again, I was confused and asked why. "Well, it's a Christian band. I didn't think you'd listen to Christian music."
I waited a few seconds and then calmly said, "Damn, I forgot I'm supposed to be outside doing pagan rituals, dancing naked while wearing my Birkenstock, recruiting small children to join my ranks."
To her credit, she quickly apologized. To my credit, I remained amused. To our credit, we had a good laugh about stereotypes.
With this 700th blog entry, I acknowledge that my view of me is definitely different than my co-worker's view of me...which is much different from your view of me...which is painfully different from my teenage nieces' view of me.
For the record, I do not recruit small children to join my ranks....but, I might be found dancing naked on the front lawn doing pagan rituals. If you see me, please make sure to say, "Of COURSE you do!" when observing my lebetian interpretive dance. Then, we can all have a good laugh about the view.
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