One of the reasons I love my Mom :)
Hello Kiddies,
This blog has been very short on intelligent discoiurse (or what passes for it anyway) due to mostly personal concerns. Seeing some great things posted by my wonderfully smart friends, has inspired me to get the writing bug back. I now have my infamous scribble pad back, where I can write down my thoughts longhand during the day and then eventually transcrfibe them at night. There's a lot being said on gender equality and the like so I will probably start with that. You know, I never saw women as an oppressed or second-class group of people, and that's probably because I was fortunate enough to be raised by and among very powerful women. My Maternal Grandmother for instance would probably knock you on your ass if you looked at her the wrong way. I know that there may have been some people that crossed her, but usually only once. Suffice it to say that my Aunt Joanne and my Mom were also strong and independent women. One of the best stories my Mom ever told me, was an account of her encountering sexual harrassment at a job in the early 60's when she was working as a Administrative Professional secretary.
As the story has been related to me, Mom was new at the job and the Boss/supervisor seemed to take a liking to her. It shouldn't be surprising because Mommy rocked it back in the day like Doris Day. :) Apparently it was his custom to offer new and young female employees very personal attention. Anyway, he came to her desk one day and put his hand on her shoulder in a very affectionate manner and expressed his admiration. He also suggested they become acquainted more closely and suggested that her time at the firm would be made more pleasurable if she was to do so, as well as offering job security. My Mother pondered his offer and politely declined. I don't know what her exact words were, but as a young Italian woman who grew up in Brooklyn, she knew how to get a point across efficiently. As there was no HR department or resources for a woman in that situation at the time, Mom informed him that if he attempted to negotiate further, she would refer the matter to an independent party. Specifically, a gentleman friend who was close to our family. He made his living as a 'freelance debt collector' for a family run agency and was a very skilled mediator. The supervisor was informed that the discussion would be very beneficial. It would show him the proper protocol for dealing with female employees as well as giving him the opportunity to take full advantage of the firm's medical and dental benefits, and a long vacation to reflect on the situation. The supervisor politely rescinded his offer and promptly went to take care of what must have been a loss of some bodily function. The next day my Mom came in to find a cup of coffee on her desk, and true to the supervisor's promise was treated like a star employee for the rest of her brief time with the firm.
This blog has been very short on intelligent discoiurse (or what passes for it anyway) due to mostly personal concerns. Seeing some great things posted by my wonderfully smart friends, has inspired me to get the writing bug back. I now have my infamous scribble pad back, where I can write down my thoughts longhand during the day and then eventually transcrfibe them at night. There's a lot being said on gender equality and the like so I will probably start with that. You know, I never saw women as an oppressed or second-class group of people, and that's probably because I was fortunate enough to be raised by and among very powerful women. My Maternal Grandmother for instance would probably knock you on your ass if you looked at her the wrong way. I know that there may have been some people that crossed her, but usually only once. Suffice it to say that my Aunt Joanne and my Mom were also strong and independent women. One of the best stories my Mom ever told me, was an account of her encountering sexual harrassment at a job in the early 60's when she was working as a Administrative Professional secretary.
As the story has been related to me, Mom was new at the job and the Boss/supervisor seemed to take a liking to her. It shouldn't be surprising because Mommy rocked it back in the day like Doris Day. :) Apparently it was his custom to offer new and young female employees very personal attention. Anyway, he came to her desk one day and put his hand on her shoulder in a very affectionate manner and expressed his admiration. He also suggested they become acquainted more closely and suggested that her time at the firm would be made more pleasurable if she was to do so, as well as offering job security. My Mother pondered his offer and politely declined. I don't know what her exact words were, but as a young Italian woman who grew up in Brooklyn, she knew how to get a point across efficiently. As there was no HR department or resources for a woman in that situation at the time, Mom informed him that if he attempted to negotiate further, she would refer the matter to an independent party. Specifically, a gentleman friend who was close to our family. He made his living as a 'freelance debt collector' for a family run agency and was a very skilled mediator. The supervisor was informed that the discussion would be very beneficial. It would show him the proper protocol for dealing with female employees as well as giving him the opportunity to take full advantage of the firm's medical and dental benefits, and a long vacation to reflect on the situation. The supervisor politely rescinded his offer and promptly went to take care of what must have been a loss of some bodily function. The next day my Mom came in to find a cup of coffee on her desk, and true to the supervisor's promise was treated like a star employee for the rest of her brief time with the firm.