Well, I always have been comfortable working with females, and they always accepted me into the fold.
I also was no dummy in that I knew there would be food involved at some point.....num,num.
I always felt more comfortable with the guys and yeh....was accepted into the fold.....ableit a Nerd fold. I was one of those girls the guys could talk to about pretty much anything - especially their shyness with other girls.
Typical INFJ I guess.
Let's see...I was and still am considered a "Tom Boy" as was spoken of back in the day. Gender roles were very clearly defined and one did not step over that line without lot's of repercussions. But I did them anyway - because like [MENTION=3240]Jill Hives[/MENTION] says - if I wanted to do something - I did - and just tuned out the rhetoric.
Every time my first husband and I would visit for lunch at my grandmothers house - and all of my cousins and their husbands were there - I'd get stares and chewed out for making my husband get his own plate of food. Hmmmph.
As I lived out in the rural countryside I did a lot of "guy" things along with "girl" things.
Here are a few...
Was responsible for all of the menagerie of animals: horses, dogs, cats, goats, chickens, rabbits, and calves.
Built fences and repaired barns. Bailed hay. Trained and milked cows.
Hunted for - and killed - rats and poisonous snakes.
Was in the accelerated learning classes in school including all of the math and sciences and band.
Graduated from college the first time with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Worked in 2 refineries. Climbed tall towers. Sat on a bubble tray at the top of one of the tallest Coker towers ever built in the US at ARCO's Houston Refinery. That was awesome!
Wore fresh air rigging to take samples of H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide gas) all night during a turnaround where we were regenerating catalyst. If the fresh air rig ever failed - I would have died within 10 seconds from a paralyzed respiratory system. Eeek!
Was trained to put out fires in the refinery. I know how to fog the nozzle to get up close to a raging propane fire so we can turn off the valve. I also know how to keep up with hoses...
Have built something from nothing on numerous occasions in various rural locations around the country.
Can drive a 75hp tractor - use the front end loader - and mow and mow and mow and mow....
I've built 2 concrete dome homes out of solid concrete - sprayed on.
I've dug sewer systems - assembled water and drain pipes - wired electrical outlets - thrown the switch on a 400 amp breaker box time after time to do maintenance on a 72KW generator.
Filled and lugged 5 gallon buckets of sand and pea gravel for the mixing of concrete.
Pushed and maneuvered a 15 foot tall scaffold and manned the concrete pump hose so the spray man could spray the concrete.
And... I can sew...and cook.... and repair toilets....and balance the checkbook.
I think people should be encouraged to do what they're naturally good at. It shouldn't matter what gender anyone is. If you're good at it - then it makes sense one should be able to do it. Most likely they'd do a good job - be enthusiastic about doing it - and be happier for it.
Don't you think?