My favorite use of being a woman in business was at a time when I was working on comission. My boss told me that one of my accounts had not yeat paid his bill and asked me to make a collection call.  When I called, I asked for the CFO. I meekly said to him, "You know, I am a widow with 3 children to support (all true) and if your check doesn’t get here before the 10th of the month I don’t get paid until next month!"  One hour later the check was messengered in! My boss was stunned.

Later, when I had my own business I used my feminity (not my sexuality!) to perform services for my customers that never occurred to my male competitors.  My theory was always that in business "You use what you got!"  I can’t go golfing with the guys but I can do things that never occured to them!

 

 

Barbara, I was really surprised that in the 70’s you were given a pink application as opposed to blue. At that time I had returned to the business world and was working for an employment agency (I ended up purchasing it!) We did not have different color applications, but a candidate did have to fill in the blank marked "sex" (one applicant marked "6 times a week" in that space.  I insisted that female candidates not be given typing tests unless they were applying for a position that required typing.  I realize that these practices were not common in other agencies.  When I became experienced in my field I specialized in placing females in male-oriented positions and worked with the Department of Defense Compliance Commission to help all companies reach their goals of hiring minority candidates.

One achievement I enjoyed the most, was convincing a giant International Corp. to permit their female employees to wear slacks!  This was a throwback to when I was 13 and convinced the principal of our school to permit the girls to wear slacks so that they could race home as fast as the boys if there was an enemy bomb alert!  My theory has always been, "Whatever works!"  From my very first job I always finagled my way into "men’s work"  because those were the most interesting jobs.

Although I despise Bernie Madoff I feel sorry for his wife. I have known many women of her generation, including highly educated women, who have absolutely no idea of what their husbands do for a living or how they make their money. Usually they are not interested as long as the money keeps coming in and they can do what they want with it. Many of them deserve it when "the walls come tumbling down" because of their initial lack of interest in how the money was made, but some were innocents and just did what they were told.

I also have to say that to a certain extent the greed of the victims assisted Madoff. When interest rates are running 5-10% and someone offers you a 20-25% return you’ve got to know something’s fishy. I’ve been offered deals like that and always turned them down. Most of the time I was proven right.

I agree with Obediah that the I/me syndrome is very annoying. I also grind my teeth everytime I hear "like" repeatedly. Another expression which is over-used, particularly by young people is, "basically".

I always took positions that were "male oriented" because those were the most interesting jobs. On my first real job I worked myself up to the position of department head, without being paid as much as my two male peers. When I questioned this I too was told that since I was a single "girl" and they were married with families they had to be paid more even though I did as good if not better job. I quickly went to their major competitor and got paid my worth. My first employer was stunned!

One of my bosses was constantly stroking my hair or my arms. I asked him a number of times not to do it. I finally had it one day saying, "I tolerate this during office hours but this is my lunch hour" and kicked him in the ankle!  He walked with a cane for weeks. He never told anyone how he hurt his ankle-but he never touched me again.

Frankly, I never let these things bother me-I just plodded ahead, doing what I wanted to do. Eventually I opened my own business. Most of my employees, male and female said I was the best boss they had ever had.  To be honest, I had many more problems with the females I worked with than the men. In those days many women felt that in order to be successful they had to "bury" someone else. I tried to teach them that there is room in the world for everyone to be successful without bad mouthing and ruining other people.

Fortunately today’s work world for women is much improved. There are still some "barracudas" (both male and female) but a different breed.

 

I have been on Medicare for 20+ years. I also have a supplimental policy. I have never had a problem with Medicare nor have I been exposed to many doctors who refuse to take Medicare-and I live in the NY Metropoliton area, one of the most expensive in the country. Those of my friends who have joined HMO’s are not as contented with their treatment as I have been. To quote one of them, "The HMO’s are great until you get sick!"

Admittedly, the premiums on my supplimental policy increase every year. The minute you deal with insurance companies it costs more. After all, they are the "middle men". I feel that Part D is a failure. The minute Congress passed part D the price of drugs went up.  Between that and the monthly insurance fee (which went up the second year) we’re actually paying almost as much as we did without part D.

I therefore feel that if they hand over the healthcare system to insurance companies instead of having medicare for all it will end up hurting us all. Yes, it will probably mean more taxes, but I’d rather give my money to the government in the form of taxes than give it to the greedy insurance cos.

Margo, I’m glad Phyllis made you realize what you said about "that 80ish thing".  It sounded ageist to me. But then I just celebrated my 82 birthday. They don’t come much sharper than I am at any age. I read 2 newspapers a day, do the Sunday Times Acrostic and Puzzle in ink and even act as a consultant for a friend’s business.  I get along fantastically well with my daughters in law, and my sons. My grandkids think I’m a "cool fun grandma"  Of course I don’t see them as often as I would like. They lead very busy productive lives-thank goodness. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I resent the attitude that older people lose their acuity. Yes, there are occasional cases of dementia and Alzheimer’s but the rest of us should not be tarred by this. Most whiny, complaining people were always that way. You were probably too busy to notice.

Kermie, I agree with you. I liked the old format better.  I too would probably not have "adopted" this website as one of my daily visits if it had been in the current format. Apparently I am in the minority. As my father used to say, "That’s what makes horse racing so popular!"

 No, money cannot buy happiness but if I’m going to be unhappy I’d rather be unhappy rich than unhappy poor! 

One of my friends said to me one day, "I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better!"

I’m very lucky because at 82 (this week) I still get compliments on my legs. I say "lucky" because I’ve never been much for exercising anything except my brain. I totally agreed with Joan Rivers when she said, "My idea of exercising is putting on my mascara in the morning!"

For years I drank coffee all day every day. As I walked into my office my secretary would hand my first cup which I kept filled on my desk. Then, after stomach problems the doctor told me I had to give it up. I tried de-caf but decided I’d rather not drink coffee at all than drink that stuff!

So I stopped. Except…..when I go out to dinner I still have that cup after dinner. What a treat for me!  I only eat out once or twice a week so I have, at most, 2 cups a week. Do I miss it?  Far more than the 3 packs of cigarettes a day I used to smoke. (gave that up 21 years ago) I still love the aroma and get pleasure from the two cups a week!

 

Any time a person makes a racist remark to me, whether it be a joke or a comment I warn them that if they ever say anything like that in front of me again I will leave.  When they argue or don’t believe me-I leave. It doesn’t make any difference where we are. I’ve left a bridge game, I’ve left in the middle of a dinner party.  I believe those who tolerate or even listen to bigots are almost as bad as the bigots.

I have my hair done professionally every two weeks-color every four weeks and cut on the other four weeks. I don’t do this for others-I do it for me!  I feel better when I know I look better. It doesn’t make any difference whether anyone else sees it. I have never been one to "follow the mob" I wear what looks good on me and wear the hairstyle that flatters me most. Lately I’ve had to sacrifice other things to continue with my hair regime but it’s important to me.  I will say that I don’t go to an expensive salon, I go to a local shop that knows me for years and is fairly reasonable. When I was young I did my hair myself but at 80+ I can no longer do it. The only time I discontinued my hair care was when I was hospitalized and in re-hab. The first thing I did when I was released was to go the beauty parlor!

I have total empathy for those who’ve lost their hair. I also know people who have either cut their hair very short or shaved their heads, some from choice, some because of illness. Some look great some don’t. Some care, some don’t.  I don’t wear my hair very short (my hair is chin-length) because it doesn’t look good on me  (I tried it) I like to look my best even when I’m home alone (most of the time) because when I look good I feel good!

Having 3 children and 3 grandchildren there have been many hilarious "educational" sex tales in our family.

My middle son (the genius) at 6 announced, "Jeffrey’s going to have a baby!"  Upon being reminded that it was Jeffrey’s mother that was having a baby he said, "I forget-how does the baby get into the mother’s stomach?"  I girded myself to once again repeat the story bout the father planting the seed when he interrupted me with, "Oh wait. I remember. The father injects his penis into the mother’s vaginal canal and the sperm.." Wherupon I asked, "Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, I read a book" he remarked as he ran out the door.

His daughter, at 5, when informed about how children are born announced emphatically, "Nobody’s putting a baby into my stomach!"

I could go on and on with stories like the day my eldest granddaughter, at 4, whispered in my ear, "Grandma, did you know that my Daddy”s penis is big enough to go into my Mommy’s vagina?"  I calmly answered that I knew that. (We discovered that one of her friends in her pre-school had just gotten a new baby sister and announced to her friends how this happened.)

Correction-I have not "had" many men with it-I know many men with it! It might have been interesting if the first statement was right!