that's business. i guess.
One thing you don't learn in a classroom at school is that the business of horticulture (my life now and what I hope is my life after college) still contains many prejudices within it. Many people don't really understand how hard a hort job can be--it's not an easy task having to withstand summer's heat and winter's cold lifting things multiple times heavier than you. It's better than any gym membership, let me tell ya. But for this or whatever other reason, it seems that girls who wish to participate seem to be underestimated.
I can't tell you how many times I've approached a customer only to hear that ("no offense") but was there a man that could help them. They always seem surprised to hear that I'm the only worker on the lot and that yes, I have the knowledge to help them find what they need, and yes, I also have the strength to load it for them.
This prejudice isn't limited to just the customers, but it seems that other horticulture workers seem to hold doubts about the gals they work beside. My mother is the perennial grower for one of the biggest horticultural businesses in Cincinnati, and works harder than any other person--male or female--that I know. But that simply isn't enough to stop rumors and doubt from flying around the gorgeous Italian. That same company was set to hire me--until that is someone started voicing the opinion that I was getting that job because 1) I'm "pretty" and 2) I'm the gorgeous Italian's daughter. Is it really that impossible to believe that I was going the get the job simply because I'm qualified and have proven I can handle the work? And I have yet to understand how some one can watch my mom work as hard as she does and still think that she has gotten this far simply on her looks.
But I guess these are prejudices we're simply going to have to live with for now, or so my mom says--I still have trouble staying as calm as she does. It may not be the most noble thought, but one of my favorite things in this business is seeing the look on someone's face as I or one of my coworkers does something they told us we couldn't do. And with that thought, I'm off to work.