Levels of assumption

Way back when I heard that one of the ways class gets demonstrated is how one finds a telephone number. It was posited that a lower soci-economic class person would use the phone book (remember those?) and an upper class person would call the operator.

Today was my first experience with the entrepreneurial association and I am their event manager. The event was held at a country club, a venue I'm not sure I have ever been to, ever. I have since learned it is a rather exclusive one at that. It was so clear that the people from this association have money, make major money. It was a joint event with another sibling organization whose guidelines I am not familiar with but for ours I know the members need to be owners, CEO, or a major share holder in a business that grosses at least one million and are under 50 years old. These folks read like that too. So did their spouses, who with one exception, were fashionably thin; who were with one exception perfectly stylish. With one exception the members appeared to all be white; with one exception one spouse appeared to all be white.

The other group had some stickers for spousal name tags since they had left the other format at their office about 2 hours away. At one point a spouse (yes all the spouses were women, and 98% of the members that came to this event were male) folded up a sticker tag that wasn't needed and without even looking for a trash container she handed it to me without even looking at me. It was so clear that as far as she was concerned I was merely staff and would of course handle cleaning up after her. It would have never occurred to me to act like that, to assume someone else would take care of my trash.

In the car returning from the event, my co-worker and I were chatting. Being me, I couldn't help stating out loud how white the event was though I did couch it to suggest that perhaps it was related to the area -southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. He chuckled and said something like "You're not used to that, are you?". No, no I'm not. I noted that wasn't shocked. He said perhaps I a bit surprised. I was but only because I like to be optimist and just because it made sense that this group would be all white did not mean that I had to expect it.

Which leads me to think, would I expect the behavior from a black woman that I received at this event? Probably not but then again I did not expect it from a white woman. It's not that I was surprised exactly but shocked at stereotype being played out.

It's been a very long day what with being on the job from 8am -9:30pm. My bed is softly calling me now. 'Night.

In which our heroine looks for inspiration

TGF and I have been invited to a Halloween bash at our friend, Theresa's home. It has been strongly suggested to wear costumes or face the wrath of ruthless teasing. The only idea so far, which I am feeling "eh" about, is Speed Racer and Trixie. A friend suggested I could do a "racy" (hey it's not my idea) Trixie as her character is rather blah and so not me (she wears pastel pink!). She also tried to sell me on the fact that it would be an excuse to buy white gogo boots, which does have a certain appeal (well except that they're white). However I'm not totally enarmored with this idea.

As a joke I suggested Velma and Scooby as TGF is a huge Scooby Doo fan. She rejected it because she doesn't want a hot costume. I think I'd make a rather fine Velma and I think I might even have the right enough clothes in my closet.

Moving on. I am not a huge costume person in that I think of all dressing as a costume, a hint of some persona for that day. In addition I have never done a couple costume thing, you know. So my dear readers, any ideas?