Outfit-coordinated shoes...check.
4 shades of MAC eye shadow...check.
2 spritzes of perfume...check.
Wide-striped cardigan over thin-striped tank...check.
Cocktail of 3 hair products...check.
Longing for a kindred spirit at work...check.
We had a staff meeting today, and I was the lone girl in a room of 32 men. (Yes, I counted. I'm funny that way.) I don't mind so much being the only girl, but I'm the only girl in a room of people who are of a different mindset and culture than me. This group wears the uniform of tucked in polos and short sleeve button-ups, jeans, and cross trainers every day. They laugh at stories that I don't think are funny, and they don't laugh at things that make me giggle. Most of them are married with children in school. Most have stay-home wives taking care of the details and groceries and tasks of life. Most have zero interest in anything preceded by the word "trendy" or "cute." Most didn't notice when I changed from blonde to red. And then from red to dark brown.
Sigh. It makes me really miss Chimly. We were thick as thieves at work, creating our own little too-cool-for-you sisterhood. Nowadays, I spend an inordinate amount of time at work not talking. Not engaging with people. I've become a hermit.
Why not change jobs/companies?
ReplyDeleteEasier said than done in this economy. Plus, any other engr company comes with a similar set of coworkers. It's a struggle that I don't yet have answers for.
ReplyDelete(Congrats on winning the comment errors battle!)
OH man...i just had a whole conversation with sal of www.alreadpretty.com about this over lunch (who i am very lucky to work with...) but my two closest girlfriends at work just got laid off and i'm the youngest at our office by a good margin so i feel out of place a lot. it is hard to be lonely at work because it makes up SO much of your days but know that you aren't alone in your loneliness, if that helps? my sister is right there with us, too. maybe we should start our own company! haha.
ReplyDeletep.s. i feel ya:
3 shades of MAC eyeshadow...check
2 spritzes of perfume...check
black wrap dress, chunky necklace and cute pumps...check
2 hair products + hairdryer + straightener + curling iron...check
longing for a kindred spirit at work...CHECK.
I don't know whether to be happy or sad that we're in this together. Big sighs!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of company are we gonna start up?
I can relate, somewhat. Before I became the stay at home wife of an Engineer I worked for an engineering co. Females are definitely a minority there and men are so different from women (especially true of Engineer men.)
ReplyDeleteI so too would have counted the men in the room!
Go out and have a good time after the boring days, I am sure you can find something to do in SD. My brother is probably the opposite of your co-workers, hang with him a little and things won't look so bleak ;-) hehe
Thank you for the encouraging words! Your brother is definitely the opposite of them - And he cracks some funny engr jokes too, lol :)
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe you should start making a killing with your cute treats and then you won't have to worry about it anymore. Baking for cash sounds way more fun than going to work with a bunch of boys who don't notice your cute new hair.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone. I definitely have moments of feeling alone in a room full of people who are different from me. Did I mention or did you happen to notice that I live in Utah right now. Me and Utah...interesting combination. The land where Starbucks is more than frowned upon and having an ounce of personality seems to be outlawed. Good times!
Wish me luck that I don't get stoned for being the only mom packing a coffee mug at t-ball and I'll wish you luck that people notice when you wear sassy shoes. :-)
"Excuse me, ma'am. I smell coffee on your breath. I'm going to need you to step away from the minivan. Caffeine is a known stimulant, and we can't have you hyped up on stimulants around these innocent children here. I'm going to take you in for a few hours until all these toxins have left your system and you're no longer a threat to society."
ReplyDeleteHaaa, thanks for the laughs, whosthatgirl :)
Sara, as you already know, I can completely relate. Hang in there until you find/start the next thing. I wish I knew what the next move was for me and then was brave enough to do it. I know we both will with time! Until then, keep up the cute outfits, sassy hair, etc. Getting dressed and accessorized in the morning is the creative part of my day. :)
ReplyDelete