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Monday, October 17, 2011

Friend Makin' Monday - Stereotyping

Happy Monday!  Hope you all had a great weekend!  It was really windy here (caused some minor damage to my cemetery - boohoo!) but the sun was out most of the weekend, so I can't really complain!!

Without further ado.....


If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
FMM:  Stereotyping
Have you ever been the victim of stereotyping?  If so, will you elaborate?  What do you wish people thought of you as they notice you for the first time?

Hmm, this is a tough one!  If I have been stereotyped, it really hasn't been to my face.  I've been overweight a long time, but no one has ever told me I couldn't do something because of it.   I may have hesitated to do something because of my own thoughts (get on a horse or in a roller coaster) but I wasn't prohibited.

Back when I was in the navy, there were times that guys had this idea that I couldn't do something because I was female.  On my first boat, when we were returning to port, there's this thing call sea & anchor detail.  Basically we had to be on the foc'sle in full protective gear and be ready to drop the anchor when we got to the pier.  I ~finally~ got a chance to wait near the shackle (kept the chain from moving) with a sledgehammer as we came in.  We were just about to slide into place when of course the punk ass guys wanted me to give over the sledgehammer to them.  I'd stood there in the summer Georgia sun for almost an hour already, I wasn't about to give it up, just when the action was about to begin!  So to save face, they started making fun of me - that I wouldn't be able to open that shackle with one hit.  I was a skinny (oh those days!) 19 year old girl at the time.  But as soon as I got the signal, I swung that sledgehammer and that shackle popped open on the first hit and the anchor fell.  I rather enjoyed the looks of astonishment on a whole bunch of faces, since the guy on the other side had to hit his several times before it opened.  

Sigh.  I miss those days!

Oh my.  Brings back memories. 
Spent many an hour here!