work embarrassment fiasco today
In all of the anti-excitement about the election outcome, i've been one of many in a forwarding extravaganza, anti-Bush crap, pro-everywhere else crap, etc etc. Today, in an effort to forward an amusing promotion of migration to Canada among blue states-ers, I accidentally forwarded a map of the US that divided blue states with Canada (named the United States of Canada) and named the red states Jesusland to ALL of my co-workers.
Now, I'm a cad with pretty damn thick yet generally PC skin, so I think this forward is pretty funny. However, some of my co-workers are very spiritual, and some of them do love Jesus, while all of them are pretty progressive at least. When I realized what I had sent, the very unintended Jesusland forward, I freaked out and sent a mass email to everyone at work apologizing for potentially "making them feel icky."
Well, I'm just waiting for the shit to hit the fan because these women really take nothing lightly and I am anticipating some really ugly, weird, embarrassing conversation with superiors (not all, but some) about how much of an anti-religion bigot I am. And while there's this part of me that wants to justify the damn thing, there is absolutely no real justification for how anti-Christian it is.
In my mental preparation for the work chiding (oh god, that shit is so embarrassing!), I've decided that I am going to take this opportunity to take on the system (and I mean the older feminist ruling things system). I'm going to retaliate with my own experiences of feeling offended as a result of my age. I can't tell you how many jokes the young women in my office have to tolerate as they have apparently experienced "nothing" and can make no real decisions yet. Also, a few of us are always referred to as "cute" in a non-sexual but weird and demeaning kind of way, like we're just pretty and stupid and it's okay to laugh at us. And, while it's super petty to throw this shit back in their faces in light of my utter embarrassment, I'm pulling out whatever I've got because I feel like a confrontation on their behalf, but not mine, would be very unfair.
In the six months I've been here, I have felt really fulfilled and I have made serious contributions to the agency, especially after replacing a woman who had this job for 7 years and was sick of it after 4. But I hate feeling like I have to step on glass around some of the more senior staff members because of their sensitivity or their comfort with making jokes that I'm not okay with.
Now, I'm a cad with pretty damn thick yet generally PC skin, so I think this forward is pretty funny. However, some of my co-workers are very spiritual, and some of them do love Jesus, while all of them are pretty progressive at least. When I realized what I had sent, the very unintended Jesusland forward, I freaked out and sent a mass email to everyone at work apologizing for potentially "making them feel icky."
Well, I'm just waiting for the shit to hit the fan because these women really take nothing lightly and I am anticipating some really ugly, weird, embarrassing conversation with superiors (not all, but some) about how much of an anti-religion bigot I am. And while there's this part of me that wants to justify the damn thing, there is absolutely no real justification for how anti-Christian it is.
In my mental preparation for the work chiding (oh god, that shit is so embarrassing!), I've decided that I am going to take this opportunity to take on the system (and I mean the older feminist ruling things system). I'm going to retaliate with my own experiences of feeling offended as a result of my age. I can't tell you how many jokes the young women in my office have to tolerate as they have apparently experienced "nothing" and can make no real decisions yet. Also, a few of us are always referred to as "cute" in a non-sexual but weird and demeaning kind of way, like we're just pretty and stupid and it's okay to laugh at us. And, while it's super petty to throw this shit back in their faces in light of my utter embarrassment, I'm pulling out whatever I've got because I feel like a confrontation on their behalf, but not mine, would be very unfair.
In the six months I've been here, I have felt really fulfilled and I have made serious contributions to the agency, especially after replacing a woman who had this job for 7 years and was sick of it after 4. But I hate feeling like I have to step on glass around some of the more senior staff members because of their sensitivity or their comfort with making jokes that I'm not okay with.