Woman in a Man's World

We were out last evening. Over at friends' house for game night. I love game nights. We play. We laugh a lot. We eat and sometimes we drink. Not much, and not always. This evening one couple arrived offering a fancy beer, bringing three glasses to the table for the three men.

And I paused. For when we arrived we were all offered tea, which both men and women enjoyed. But the beer, nor a glass was offered to any of the women. Interesting.

Of course, I reached over and enjoyed more than a sip of my husband's share. The brew was quite hoppy, and I liked its complexity. Which is different for me. For usually I turn my nose up to the over hopped.

The other woman at the table didn't seem to experience the oversight. And I wonder if my reaction is rooted in the fact that I spent 20 plus years in fields which kept me working side by side with mostly men. Where I'd never been considered anything less than one of the scientists, or one of the QA engineers.

The evening had one other twist. There were not enough chairs at the table for all of us to sit and eat together. Not a problem really, as the children were downstairs playing when the meal was served. Eventually they gathered, the aroma from the food would have drawn them in from the next town, and those adults that had finished stood or sat to the side. Through this shifting I found myself seated with the men, comfortably chatting about, when I looked up to notice the women were doing the dishes.

What to do? Continue the chat, or take my place at the sink? I couldn't let my friends handle the clean up alone. And as I stood to leave the comment was made, "Wouldn't you rather sit here and do nothing?"

"Yes," was my answer, with a smile, "but no." The split dilemma of a woman in a man's world.