I figured this might blow up after my last post. Let me explain, a lot of this comes from my upbringing and environment. I was raised to act in a certain manner around women from my childhood and my adult male relatives were too-and their behavior showed it. When my uncles and older cousins and I were at a family gathering we'd stand arond and swap lewd jokes and whatnot and laugh ourselves silly...until a woman or girl came into the group. She didn't have to be related, any woman who came within earshot would cause an automatic change in both demeanor and conversation. The lewd jokes stopped...period. There were just ways you did and did not act when women were present-and a lot of this has stuck with me. To this day, I don't tell "dirty" jokes or make lewd comments to women...unless they start first-then things change. But I have to have a sign that they're o.k. with it-I can't just assume I have a "right" to talk however I want whether a woman is present or not.
At the high-school I attended you could eat lunch in the gym. Sometimes the girl's gym class was going on simultaneously and as the girls headed off the gym floor for the showers some of them would, it was pretty much assumed deliberately, start disrobing just before they got to the door to the locker room. Usually nobody said much as long as the bra wasn't off. A couple of 'em got in trouble by undressing too much too quickly-but heaven help any guy who said anything inappropriate no matter what. Guaranteed visit with the principal and multiple detentions and a guidance counselor visit on that one.
It's just how I was raised-and-at least partly-why it makes me uncomfortable to this day.
The other thing is adjusting to reality. Cigarette smoking has been declining in public acceptability for half a century. I stopped smoking in public places long before any local laws were put in place regulating it because I wish to avoid offending others more than clinging to my prerceived "right" to smoke wherever and whenever I damn well pleased no matter who it offended. That's just how I approach things. It has in the same time period become less socially acceptable to make comments objectifying women-especially in front of them-and the assumed "right" to make them in front of them is one I just don't buy. They start making lewd talk-let fly, but until they do, is really it too much to ask to hold your tongue for a little while?
Again, and to emphasize, this is only my opinion and I in no way am trying to impose it on anyone else. If you disagree with me, I'm cool with that. I hope you are too.
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) - if she wants professional respect, then dress in a suit or sweater or something like Andrews' often does. Don't wear skin-tight jeans and a cleavagey shirt and expect the utmost respect.
