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As some of you may or may not remember, I had a run in with a Hitler-loving coworker back in June. I've had plenty of other encounters with this coworker since then, but this one yesterday, I think, takes that cake (or bagel, if you prefer).
I walked up behind my coworker (let's call her Lyndon) to get to the refrigerator in our office kitchenette, and she turned around suddenly, startled to see me. I apologized for scaring her, and she told me how quiet I was. I said thanks, and she replied, "No, that's a good thing. I grew up in such a noisy house." I nodded and went about my business.
Not content to leave the conversation there, however, Lyndon continued, "So do you have any siblings?" I told her I had two older brothers. She asked, "Older? Oh. So you're the youngest. Are your brothers settled in their careers?"
I stared at her for a moment, wondering where such a question even came from, before giving a noncommittal yes. At this point I made my exit and returned to my seat.
A minute later she came back to the room we shared and continued the conversation. "So I remember what you said back there about your brothers being settled in their careers, and that made me think about my own children. My oldest children, they've found their niche in society, but my youngest daughter, she's still trying to figure things out for herself. And I thought maybe there was a correlation there, you know, with youngest siblings having trouble finding their way in life." She paused awkwardly. "No offense."
Again I stared, dumbfounded by her audacity. "Heh, maybe," I replied, and turned away from her, finally ending the conversation.
So, four points:
(1) Wow, that's ridiculously offensive.
(2) She thinks it's interesting that younger people aren't as settled into their careers as older people? wtf?
(3) I happen to know her daughter, personally, and the reason she hasn't figured out her life yet is because she's an idiot, not because she's the youngest sibling.
(4) Lyndon is a fifty or sixty year old woman working a **** data entry job in which I am higher up on the totem pole than she is. Who the **** is she to talk about me not having my **** together yet?
I walked up behind my coworker (let's call her Lyndon) to get to the refrigerator in our office kitchenette, and she turned around suddenly, startled to see me. I apologized for scaring her, and she told me how quiet I was. I said thanks, and she replied, "No, that's a good thing. I grew up in such a noisy house." I nodded and went about my business.
Not content to leave the conversation there, however, Lyndon continued, "So do you have any siblings?" I told her I had two older brothers. She asked, "Older? Oh. So you're the youngest. Are your brothers settled in their careers?"
I stared at her for a moment, wondering where such a question even came from, before giving a noncommittal yes. At this point I made my exit and returned to my seat.
A minute later she came back to the room we shared and continued the conversation. "So I remember what you said back there about your brothers being settled in their careers, and that made me think about my own children. My oldest children, they've found their niche in society, but my youngest daughter, she's still trying to figure things out for herself. And I thought maybe there was a correlation there, you know, with youngest siblings having trouble finding their way in life." She paused awkwardly. "No offense."
Again I stared, dumbfounded by her audacity. "Heh, maybe," I replied, and turned away from her, finally ending the conversation.
So, four points:
(1) Wow, that's ridiculously offensive.
(2) She thinks it's interesting that younger people aren't as settled into their careers as older people? wtf?
(3) I happen to know her daughter, personally, and the reason she hasn't figured out her life yet is because she's an idiot, not because she's the youngest sibling.
(4) Lyndon is a fifty or sixty year old woman working a **** data entry job in which I am higher up on the totem pole than she is. Who the **** is she to talk about me not having my **** together yet?
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