Wanted: An End to Sexism

I had initiated a post on Facebook that a male colleague chimed in on. He wasn't asked a question; he volunteered an opinion. I found his opinion to be unrealistic. He has no idea what it's like to be a woman, and he certainly has no idea what it's like to be a Muslim woman, yet he "volunteered" that no one had to submit to someone else's pressure. (The Muslim woman had been given a bible against her will by one of the local Gideon fanatics on the college campus. She had no idea what it was nor why it was pressed upon her.) I told my male colleague that women, especially women from cultures where women's opinions aren't heard or listened to, are likely to submit to pressure from a male because they don't feel they have a right to say no. He posted, "I'll allow you to have the last word."

He'll ALLOW me???!!!! He's too damned smart for that to have been accidental. He had to have known that he was being insulting and patriarchal. I decided to ignore his comment simply so that HE would "technically" have the last word, but he doesn't read my blog, so in fact, I can have the last word simply through ranting and raving about him. Small comfort, but better than no comfort. Lately, I feel as if small comforts are all the comforts I'm getting.

My husband has been working hard on our deck today. We know the weather will turn soon, becoming too cold and too snowy/icy for us to comfortably work outdoors. The photo is the one he sent me a short while ago. He's doing a good job, isn't he?

I underwent yet another classroom observation this morning. Sigh. I so totally do not care whether I ever get tenure. Much ado about nothing. I just want to do my job. The secretary said my classes filled this registration period before anyone else's classes. I've got to become a hard ass just so I don't have the work. "Lazy" is my middle name these days. I'm too old and too ornery to give a damn anymore.