In October 2018 I started a new job. It was a part-time job (with full-time benefits) for a convention company. I was hired to be the exhibit manager. I was interview by Gwyn, the convention manager. Once I walked out of the office I knew one things. This is my job! I was hired in busy season, so it was very fast paced and interesting. In January 2019, I was part of my first conference in Atlanta, Ga. That’s when I made a very interesting faux pas.
After a very LONG day I was sitting at a dinner table with Gwyn and Julia when they started drilling me with questions of how I felt about everything. And I do mean everything. One of the many questions they asked is what were my initial thoughts when I came in for my interview. Looking out of the window of the Sun Dial restaurant (you should Google this restaurant) I answered the question by saying, “I thought it’s just an office full of old white women.”
This was met with silence. As the realization of what I said came to my mind, I slowly turned to see two stunned faces. Immediately I got hot and nervous. “Did I just called them white to their faces?” I said to myself. As this thought was processing in my head Julia said, “I am white, I can’t do anything about that. I am a woman. But I am most certainly not old!” In my head, “phew, they know they are white.” Gwyn said, “How old do you thing we are?” Now it’s was time for me to eat my words. “I mean, I don’t think you are old. I just mean you are older than me. You have 7 children between the three of you, and 6 of them are married. You have a grandchild. You are more established and I am not used to that. I don’t mean you are old. I mean you are ole. You know, with an e.” Yes, I actually said all of that foolishness.
Fast forward a few months and I started calling them O.W.L.’s. An acronym for Ole White Ladies. It’s now a term of endearment that they happily except. Over the two years I’ve worked with them, I’ve found that I deeply love them. The best part of that is, they genuinely love me too. Jonnda invites me to every family function she has. I’ve been to church with Julia twice. And Gwyn is honestly the best women I’ve ever worked for. I have had a crap ton of jobs and she is the best women I’ve EVER WORKED FOR. It beared repeating.
I have named three plants after them. That way, they are with me as I work from home and miss them everyday.
xoxo,
Tracy Deanne
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