Guys

G is for Guys.

I started a new job in retail just under 2 months ago. Without 'tooting on my own horn' too much I would say that I'm pretty good at my job; I'm talkative, smiley with my customers and most importantly get my work done. 

Of course every job has it's ups and downs..

... that one colleague that you just don't take a particular liking to 

... that one manager who picks on you more than others 

... that one shift that starts at 7am

For me, the downside of my job is the Guys. 

I'm not talking about the ones I work with, I'm talking about the ones I serve. 

I'm often put in awkward situations by men who think its okay to make somewhat degrading comments solely based on what they see. There's a difference between a compliment and a demeaning comment. A compliment says "Wow, what pretty colour eyes you have" and leaves it there whilst a degrading comment says "Wow, *licks lips* when are you coming home with me?" 

(I had to keep it PG rated but trust me I've heard far worse.) 

It's when I hear comments like those that really make me ponder. I've had men offer to "marry me" right then and there on the spot just because of the way I look which preaches so much about the standards some guys have set for themselves. Additionally, it's the guys who think that it's okay to make such comments that give 'all' men in society a bad name. We now have this stereotype that if a guy does something genuinely nice for a girl he wants something out of it. 

Let me share with you this short story.

Last week whilst going on my lunch break at work a gentleman approached me asking where he could find a certain item. As I was in a department different from my own I politely told him I was unsure of where he could find the item but I would get a member of staff from that department to help him. So I left him in the hands of someone more capable than I and he thanked me for helping him. 5 minutes later whist at the self checkout paying for my lunch I noticed the same gentleman was using the self checkout machine next to mine. It was at this point that the gentleman offered to pay for my lunch, when I said "no, honestly, it's fine" he did so anyway. I thanked him profusely and went back to the staff canteen to eat.

When I got back to my department I told a few of my male colleagues what had just happened and comments such as "Oh don't worry he'll be back in for your number next week" were uttered. I've seen the same man a few times since he payed for my lunch and not once has he said anything more than "Hello" or "How are you doing?"

However, surprisingly it's not just men that make such comments but women too! The other evening whilst I was working with two guys a lady approached the counter and said "what privilege you boys have working with such a beautiful lady." (Which I thought to be a nice genuine compliment.) She then turned to me and said "Do you get paid extra for working here!?" with a smirk on her face. Of course I'm smart enough to understand that it was just a 'joke' that she was making. Was it really appropriate? I'll leave that for you to decide. 

I came across this Video on BuzzFeed a few weeks ago and thought it would be perfect to share in this post. So if you have 1 minute 51 seconds to spare please have a watch. It is comical but please try to take in the serious side as well!