Substitute Kansas with Utah.
The last couple of days I have been doing district training for my job as a counselor. Most of it is extremely boring and painful, and I feel like I am back at the beginning of high school. I have had to introduce myself in the most unique ways over and over again. One of these introductions happened this afternoon; I had to group with three other educators, and we had to find things that were unique to only us and things we all had in common. The conversation went like this:
Girl #1: Oh I love Starbucks tea . . .
Girl # 2: Me too
Girl # 3: Yeah, I do too . . .
Me: Oh, I don't really drink tea
All girls: Oh okay . . .
Girl # 1: Well I love Starbucks coffee
Girl # 2: Yeah, of course
Girl # 3: We could put that down
Me: Sorry, I don't drink coffee
All girls: huh . . .
Girl # 1: Do you guys like wine tasting, cause I love wine tasting
Girl # 2: Oh yeah
Girl # 3: Mmm hmmmm, me too
Me: With a shrug, I don't drink alcohol
Extreme awkward silence.
8 comments:
Yeah, I haven't been in a situation like that in a while. I don't think you need to start every conversation with, "Hi, my name is Lexie, and I'm a Mormon.", but I can see why it might be necessary at some point.
Lexie, be honest. The reason this is new to you is because you have never made friends before... I won't tell anyone. I'm glad to hear you got a job and I am jealous that you are back in Oregon. And thanks for your email about the new phone numbers cause Nick never bothered to let me know... and he still hasn't answered any of my calls. Will you kick him in the_______ for me (just kick him anywhere you feel like). Oh and A-freakin-men on the Olympic post.
Hm, I think you should bring pamphlets about "the mormons" to every work meeting you go to. Make sure it has lots of salacious (sp) material about polygamy and our secret rituals in it.
Okay, so I re-read my post and realized it sounded like I'm introducing myself as Lexie, the Mormon girl. I have yet to actually say I'm Mormon, and am trying to avoid making a "declaration." But after people know I moved from Utah, am married, and don't drink, they begin to connect the dots. At first, I can tell people make some assumptions about me, but after getting to know me a little bit, hopefully they'll realize that I'm normal, even though I still revere the practice of polygamy, and quite frankly, wish it was still around! (sarcasm) I think mander is right, and I should bring an oversized poster of Jesus and CTR into my office. Or maybe I could bring in some Mormon ads!!! That and some spare BOM's to hand out to faculty and students should do the trick.
I totally knew you weren't introducing yourself as mormon. There are always those awkward moments as people start to connect the dots that you are mormon. You can tell they want to ask, but don't know if you'll be offended or something. Or maybe they are just afraid you'll start preaching.
And they've got to figure out you are cool sooner or later, right? 'Cause you are really cool ;)
Oh, and of course the things they want to have in common happen to be some of the few things we don't do!
that's awesome. I actually miss those opportunities. Instead, I'm stuck with the MBA who have serious qualms about meeting their husband's boss in a bar. Come ooonnn! It's a bar, not a strip club. So you don't have it that bad.
But I think you should make more of those shirts "I Can't, I'm Mormon" and see what people say.
uh, that was supposed to MBA wives.
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