Sweet and Salty

For All Our Galentines

This is a week of treats, and we all like something salty and sweet, don’t we?  So here is our offering to you for your morning or afternoon snack – or your midnight munchie.  Something salty and something sweet.

Salty: The Spread

This morning was the fourth time in the past few months that I was subjected to what I have come to call The Spread.  Sitting in my airline seat with my belongings tucked beneath the seat in front of me, I suddenly felt pressure on my right leg.  I looked over and… there it was.  The man in the seat next to me had settled into a comfortable position that included his legs forming a 90 degree angle, aka The Spread.  About 25% of his leg mass had drifted into my seat space and was encroaching on my useable area.

I did what I normally do when this happened today – I ever so slightly pushed back, giving the guy a subtle “Hey, you’re in my space” nudge.  But, as so often occurs, he was oblivious.  I spent the rest of the thankfully short flight with even less room than current airplane seat measurements allow. By the time I got off the plane, I was irritated and resentful.  The whole situation was even more puzzling when the guy turned out to be a very considerate gentleman when it came time to unload bags from the overhead compartments and disembark the plane.

I realize that this issue is but a small slight in the general realm of sexism, and I should be happy that I was on a plane because I have a job where I am unconstrained by sexist bosses and I get to travel to work for enlightened clients.  On the other hand, the plane scenario, and its commonality in other places, feels a bit to me like a metaphor for women’s places in the world and the current state of our progress.  There seem to be a number of guys who still want to stress that this is their world and they’ll encroach and make us uncomfortable if they want.

Certainly some of you are yelling at me right now, “Just tell him to move!”  And yes, this also illustrates that not all of us are comfortable with just calling a guy out directly for his rude or sexist behavior. My southern sensibilities discourage it.  My feeling is that it’s not a big enough deal and it will make the rest of the trip uncomfortable.  What I actually would like to do would be to say, “Look – if you have a fungus and you’re uncomfortable, go get some medicine, but get out of my space!”  But my sensitivity to other’s feelings tells me that maybe he doesn’t even know what he’s doing and perhaps he would be really embarrassed if I called him out directly.

‘And maybe that’s the real lesson here.  Maybe he doesn’t realize what he’s doing.  Of course, some percentage of the guys who Spread are completely aware of their actions, because there will always be jerks EVERYWHERE.  But maybe some of these guys on planes and in stadiums are just like guys at work who interrupt us and push us out.  Maybe their behavior was learned at an early age and they don’t realize its implications.  So the proper response would be to clearly point out the issue, but without animosity.   “Excuse me, would you mind moving your leg?” might be in the same league with “Could you work on not interrupting me during meetings?”  If he responds badly, he’s a jerk being a jerk, not a good guy being clueless.  And you can proceed accordingly. In fact, perhaps you can diplomatically educate the men in your life (husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, shoe salesmen) that to Spread is to be inconsiderate.  Revolutionary behavior doesn’t always involve hostile confrontations, and sensitivity to other people being human often results in allies.

Sweet: Happy Valentine’s Week!

If you have been reading here for a while, you know that I am a perpetual optimist.  On a crowded, noisy train I remind myself that some people never travel more than 5 miles from their homes.  When my basement flooded, I said it was an opportunity to remodel.  Other than the first week after football season is over, I can almost always find a way to summon a positive angle on a situation.  It’s my survival mechanism.

As such, no one should be surprised that I love Valentine’s Day.  Even absent a current Significant Other, I think it’s quite a fabulous holiday.  The decorations are pretty, the movies on TV are sappy and hopeful, and every person has an opportunity to tell the people around her that she loves them.

Some among us are very cynical about the holiday, citing pressure on gifting, commercialism, and “It’s a made-up holiday”, as some of their reasons for being negative.  (What holiday isn’t made up?  Not even Jesus said, “Hey – make a really big deal about my birthday.”)

But I feel the opposite.  I think this is a gift-wrapped chance to appreciate people, in case you’ve been too busy to do so.  There is no law that says the person you are honoring is your sweetie.  It could be your mom, your former teacher, your kids’ nanny – anyone!  A positive sentiment is never a bad idea. And reminding yourself of all the good things in your life is a beneficial exercise whenever it may occur.

I have said something here before that bears repeating: Happiness is hard.  Cynicism is easy.  Negativity, skepticism, distrust, disbelief – all of these are conditions that some people would have you believe are the signs of intelligence.  In fact, they are signs of fear.  It is easier to be cranky and cynical and tell everyone that you didn’t ever expect to be treated equal to men in your job anyway, and all the men out there are malicious jerks. It’s hard to have hope.  It’s brave to take the chance that your new boss really will support you in a male-dominated environment, and you’ll get to explore your career opportunities unfettered by the ignorance of others.  Optimism and love are accompanied by the risk that your hopes will be dashed.  But if the potential win is that you will realize your own goals and aspirations, or perhaps you’ll find happiness in another person, how can you afford to be negative and skeptical?

In the spirit of the season, I would like to say how much I care about all of my sisters in arms and everything you give me on a daily basis.  I am constantly inspired and supported and encouraged by you, and you make my life a richer, more fulfilling existence.

I also appreciate all of the men who treat us as equals, fight for our progress, and don’t encroach on our figurative airline seats.  I heart you guys, and I thank you for the daily dose of happiness you give me and others.

There will be crises and problems in our lives, but there also always will be goodness and love. I hope you can find some reason to be optimistic and grateful during the Valentine’s holiday. If you’re at a loss, message me and I’ll send you a list of shoe sales.

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