Today's rambling: Surprises and sexual harassment
Written on February 05, 2002 at 6:42 p.m.
while feeling a bit

If I thought I'd been surprised by getting that first email from Mandee, tonight I almost died from a shock-induced heart attack! Heh. Okay, melodrama aside, I went into my Hotmail box and deleted the usual bunch of junk emails. There was one that stuck out, however, and I was like, "No way, this CAN'T be who I think it is!"

See, once upon a time, I was best friends with this girl next door whose name is Melissa. NOT the Mel I've complained about before. This girl and I were like sisters at one point. The only thing that really separated us was my move to Massachusetts, and after that we talked less and less 'til now I can say I haven't heard from her in QUITE some time. I didn't get an email from her, however. I got an email from her brother, Dave.

This totally floored me. The last time I saw him was...Geez, it's been YEARS. I think it was definitely before I moved to MA, and that was in...1995? But it was probably even several years before THAT that I'd seen him last! So imagine my utter disbelief when I saw an email from him!

He found me through Grad Finder, a site which I haven't been to in a pretty long time, hehe! Told me a little of what was going on in his life, asked me how I was doing (heh! Long or short version?)...It was really nice to hear from him. I wrote back, of course, hehe!

I just thought of something sort of funny. Mandee, at one time, had a crush on him. *giggles* He was older than us, though...I forget how many years older, though. I think he was really heavy into drugs at one point, because I remember all of us saying that he'd end up killing himself or something. But he graduated college AND works for Intel now, so obviously he's done quite well with himself! And I'm so glad to hear that.

Anyway, um, what else happened to me today...Oh, Frank told me that he'd be up sometime tomorrow afternoon, and I shot back, "Right, and then you'll be calling me saying you have to babysit your little brother." Then, holding an invisible phone to my ear, I said in a mimicking-sort of voice, "I can't come over, I've gotta babysit my brother!"

"I did have to watch him that night!" Frank defended, looking wounded. He was laughing, but his voice had this tone that mine does when people tease me, hehe...It was cute. So he's going to call me when he gets off work tonight. I feel sorta guilty, because I didn't say goodbye to him before I left! :oP I won't even say who I did say bye to...*smacks herself* I'm so pathetic!

Geoff saw me today and said, "Where have you been?" Hehe...wow, he actually noticed I was missing. ^_^

All of the employees have to go to this cheesy one-hour class about sexual harassment at the end of this week. From what I heard, they're going to show us how to sexually harass someone, so that then we'll know how not to. Yay. Don't you think we'd know when we're being harassed? I would, anyway. Tenth grade, I was talking with my TV crew advisor (who happened to be male), and this guy that I knew walked by. I don't even remember what exactly was said anymore, but I turned to look at him as he passed, and he mouthed something about "big boobs".

I'd never been so mortified. My advisor hadn't even noticed it (or so he says, ha ha), but I couldn't believe someone said that about me! It was bad enough that I was self-conscious about that particular attribute, but to have some guy that I hardly even knew make such a disgusting remark? Maybe that's why I get so angry at guys like Zenon when they act like pigs.

So yes, I know what sexual harassment is, thanks. I've become a lot less prudish since working at this store (hehe), so I can take the lewd teasing that goes on left and right (is it wrong to say I sometimes participate in the remarks? *giggles*), but I realize that none of it's ever meant seriously. I also realize that if something one of the guys said did make me uncomfortable, I could tell them so and they'd immediately stop. Sexual harassment is supposed to be termed as "unwanted advances" or something along those lines, so basically it's like a guy continuously going up to a girl (or a girl going up to a guy) and making suggestive comments or whatever, even after she's told him to stop. Stuff like that.

What pisses me off is that this country is becoming so anal about being "politically correct" and not offending anybody that they're taking this sexual harassment thing way too far. I remember hearing a story about this old lady who used to work for a company cafeteria, and when the people would go through her line, she'd say things like, "Thanks, hon", or other such things...you know, totally harmless stuff. I mean, this was an old woman...old women always call younger sorts "honey" and things like that. She wasn't trying to COME ON to people, for goodness' sake! But some guy took offense to it, claimed it was sexual harassment, and the woman was made to stop.

Give me a break. I feel all warm and fuzzy when older ladies say those things to me, LoL! Makes me feel loved and granddaughter-ish, even though I know that the words come out more as habit than as an actual sign of caring. I never once thought, "Oh my god, that woman is totally trying to flirt with me!"

And I heard from my manager that if he were to come into the bakery and say, "Hello, ladies," that could be construed as sexual harassment as well. How? If it's just us girls back there, there's no reason why he can't greet us as ladies! It would be slightly different if he came in and said, "Hey, you sexy bitches!" 'Ladies' is a polite word...I mean, come on: "Ladies and gentlemen"? What, are we not allowed to address a group like that anymore? And what about, "Hello, sir." Would that be sexual harassment, because I picked him out as being a guy? Seriously, what's the difference between 'sir' and 'ladies'? Both are polite terms.

Before long, we're going to have to address each other by numbers. "Hello Coworker 583! I would compliment you on those amethyst earrings you're wearing, but that might be considered sexual harassment!"

The other day I saw Nick and Jason walking by, and I called out, "Hello boys!" only to realize belatedly that that's considered sexual harassment as well. So I laughed and exclaimed, "Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that!" Neither of them could care less about this sexual harassment stuff, so it's not like I offended them.

I'm glad there's a law against it, but I'm disgusted by how far it's being taken. There's a difference between saying, "I'll bet those breasts make a nice handful" (or "I'll make sure you get that raise if you come to the back room and give me a quick hand") and "Hello ladies, the department looks great!" Not that John would ever tell us the department looked great...

So anyway, back to this class we have to take. My hour lesson is from 11-12 on Friday. Geoff's class is from 11-12 on Friday. Ha ha!!! When we found out we were both going to be in the same class, I expect he probably groaned inwardly with despair. But anyway, he said something like, "Maybe they'll call on us to show everyone how it's done." Heh! :oP I hope I don't get called upon as an example...then I'll tell them that I consider their choosing me to be sexual harassment. Bwa ha ha!!!

Alright, I've ranted enough. I actually sounded coherent this time, though, which is a surprise! ^_^ I think I'll go figure out some kind of spifty banner for this diary.