InnerTeub

Not to get all bogged down in the plight of women in the workplace, but I read an article today that seemed an appropriate compliment to my last post, and wanted to share.

NPR recently reviewed the latest offering from The History Channel: “America: The Story of Us,” and the reviewer shared her general disgust in the lack female participation. To quote:

There are fourteen people seen in that first hour commenting on history and its meaning, and on how the United States came to be, and about what kinds of people the early Americans were, and so forth — and only one of them, author and Rutgers professor Annette Gordon-Reed, was a woman.

That is…surprising, but what really caught my eye in this article was her last point:

It’s not about perfect statistical representation. You can’t possibly hope to achieve some sort of perfect microcosm. If it were 60/40 [men/women] in the opener, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed — 60/40 is what you’re numb to; 60/40 is the size of the callus you develop for these things.

I just… love this. Maybe I’m not so upset about the lack of women in my workplace because I just can’t be bothered, not if I’m going to continue to do my job. My understanding that there is problem, and my being upset that there is a problem, exist in almost separate spheres of my brain.

Maybe I just think the 75 cents to the dollar I get for my salary, and the two other women I see in a meeting of 30 people, is just as much as I can accept as Ok; it’s the callus I’ve developed for the way things are, so that I can continue on, the way I am.

And, just to tie into my previous post again, I don’t think that’s as much to do with women being conditioned to be polite, but more with women being conditioned to keep going. It’s the callus you develop for these kinds of things.