Still a man's world

I have a great job. I work with some wonderful people, people who are a lot like family. It's unique, believe me. I haven't had this much fun since I left my first ad agency position.

The one thing is that I work in an industry that is almost entirely dominated by men. Most of the time it isn't a big deal. Oh you get the guys who treat you like a "girl" or don't make eye contact-- they only look at you a foot lower. Sometimes the management wonders why a customer likes you so much. And then sometimes, you catch a guy who's had one too many and makes a comment like the one I heard today. In what can only be described as a fit of jealousy a male vendor told a new female vendor that she only got her piece of business because she was a woman and the buyer gave her special treatment because he likes women.

Just when you thought the world had actually turned and we were out of the 19th century, some jackass comes along and tries to put women back in the fainting couch.

Well let me gather up my petticoats a moment and say what I think. I think guys like CH are intimidated by smart people, men or women. I think he takes everything down to the lowest common denominator, drinks too much and takes hurtful cheap shots. I think his way of business is going the way of the dinosaur. Correction -- it's already gone.

I think I'm glad that guys like him aren't part of my "family" and my regular professional life. I'm glad the guys I do work with treat me with respect and sometimes even a bent and silly affection that makes me feel like I have big brothers when we're out on the road. I think CH will never know the greatness of a job like this as long as he dismisses 50% of the world's population as too shallow and too talentless to get business on their merits and not their anatomy.

It may still be a man's world but the time will come when even us girls get some of the credit and our fair share. I'll still be here -- I wonder if he will. My guess is no.