Maybe God has been poking at me lately for my admittedly skewed view of myself. I've really been struggling on the whole self-esteem thing lately, and have been in dire need of a sense of humor. However, the following two interactions that I have had with complete strangers this week have left me scratching my head about how I present myself. I just don't know what it all means....
Date: Tuesday
Site: Hospitality Private Preview of new museum exhibit
Scene: making small talk with Director of Sales (DS) of local hotel at the reception, while Husband stepped away.
DS: [after discussing kids, etc. DS is a grandmother] "So, are you a stay-at-home mom?"
Me: [thinking that I really should have changed out of the jeans and knit pullover] "No, I'm a patent attorney at X Technology in far-flung suburb."
DS: "Oh." [silence]
I'm not disparaging SAHMs here, but I was a little unsettled by the automatic assumption that all lawyers need to look like they just stepped out of Law and Order. At this point, I don't even own what could be considered a real suit. Don't need one. Actually, we quietly mock those outside counsel of ours that come down for their obligatory face time with us and show up in suits. However, maybe the image could use an overhaul. Anyone want to sign me up for "What not to wear?" (I do have a bit of a crush on Clinton, for reasons I don't understand.)
Date: Thursday morning
Site: Convenience store across from work
Scene: After a horrid morning, stocking up on the big bottle of Diet Pepsi, and some sugar in the form of glazed blueberry cake donuts. (Ignore this bit when I post my uber-whiny weight post). Checking out with normal-looking, non-grungy 20ish male clerk (BC). Me making small talk:
Me: "After the morning I've had, I need my sugar and caffeine."
BC: [smiling] "Are you sure that's enough?"
Me: "Well, maybe not, but they tend to frown on what I really need." [kidding, totally!]
BC: [weird interested look on face] "Are you a seller too?"
Me: "Um, no." [Beats hasty exit out nearest door]
What the...? Was I just solicited for drugs? While in my sensible blue shoes, 50's-inspired cardigan, and my work badge prominently displayed? I still can't make heads or tails of it. If anything, I don't think that I'll be headed back there anytime soon. I've been assumed to be a lot of things, but never a drug dealer. Not even when I was picking up fertility drugs and syringes in a plain brown paper bag in a neighborhood where I very likely could have been a dealer, regardless of getup.
See? God is poking at me, but I have no clue what the message is. Must mull it further....
3 comments:
I think that your clerk may have watched one too many episodes of weeds now that he's hitting up suburban moms for drugs....
J gets the same assumptions about lawyers. Half the time he goes to work in khakis and a knit short-sleeve shirt. We've never gotten such a surprised reaction, though, as the day he was wearing jeans and a Darth Vader T-shirt. This lady asked what he did and when he said he was a lawyer, she actually asked "Are you sure? You don't look like a lawyer." We were at the ZOO, for crying out loud!
I'll nominate you, as long as I can be at the thing where Stacy and Clinton show up to embarrass you. Clinton is kind of cute...
That post just totally cracked me up - I cannot believe that guy thought you could possibly be a dealer. LOL. Kind of makes you wonder who he's bought from before?? Maybe a co-worker? Just kidding!
It's nice that you don't have to wear suits all the time. I think it would be a blast to go on What Not to Wear! How fun would it be to throw all your clothes away and just start over?! You should go for it.
Take care!
Post a Comment