Thursday, June 22, 2006

Wipe-Off Constitution


Browsing through the educational type catalog that came in the mail today, I found an interesting item. It is a wipe-off laminated board with a picture of a scroll. Advertised as “an impressive background for writing a class Constitution… Write on/wipe off feature lets you create and then erase.” In the current climate, where various groups want to pop in new constitutional amendments, and others want to eliminate certain freedoms inconveniently written into the Constitution, this might be just what we need!

I called a woman today to make an inspection appointment, and she asked me who would be coming out, a woman or a man? Since she sounded like an older woman, I thought perhaps she was hoping that it would be a woman, so she wouldn’t have to let a strange man into her house. I told her that I would be coming. After an ominous silence on her end, I said, “Will that be alright?” “Not really! But I guess I’ll have to put up with it,” she replied, grumpily. I was surprised, but I told her that I’d be very happy to call the office and ask them to reassign the job, if she would be more comfortable with a man. “No, no,” she said. “I guess you’ll do.” She grumbled on a little longer, and I again offered to have the job reassigned (to our token male appraiser). “No,” she said. “It’s okay. Don’t feel bad about being a woman.” I assured that I didn’t feel a bit bad about being a woman (as if!). I’ll be inspecting her house Tuesday, unless, God willing, she decides to request a man after all.

3 comments:

Dy said...

Oh dear! Tuesday should be, well, interesting, to say the least. I'll keep my fingers crossed that perhaps she'll be more lucid. Or sedated. Or something.

The wipe-off constitution would be hilarious, if it wasn't so close to true. *sigh*

Dy

CeCe said...

Working in the hardware store, I get women like that all the time! "Isn't there a MAN that can help me?!" There's one old french lady that comes in and swears in French, and says "Stupid Girls!, I want to talk to Jack!" (the boss). It drives me bonkers!

Melora said...

I guess it was her "openess" that startled me. I've certainly gotten condescension and skepticism before, but never such a blatant opinion that I couldn't be any good because of my gender.