~ Are You Judged by What You Wear? ~

(Read all about it below)

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Funny thing happened this last week at work. I've been a substitute school librarian for 4 years now. Until two months ago I was only subbing in my son's school. Suddenly I started getting asked to sub at other schools and am now able to do it now that my youngest is older. Now I get calls all the time. I get warm & fuzzies that the ones I work for call me personally now to sub again. I love being with the kids and working with the books. I don't just sit behind the desk. If there's nothing to do I go out into the books and straighten them, pull them forward, put in order those books not in their proper place. I love to do this. The people I fill in for love that they can come in the next day to an orderly library and know that things are in their place.

This last Monday I was asked a second time to come back to this particular high school. With pretty decent weather I rode my motorcycle to work. So I drive up to the teacher's parking lot and park my bike and then walk into the office to check in. I get lots of stares. It's chilly and I'm wearing my motorcycle jacket and leather chaps, carrying my lunch in my helmet and a book bag over my shoulder with my notebook and all I need for the day. The above photo is showing what I was wearing, but I was carrying my helmet and not wearing it (remember - lunch?).

I walk into the office and immediately the office clerk is right there asking "Can I help you?" It just felt like that question was loaded with lots of unsaid stuff. As she was asking that, I got the impression with her tone that she was really stating "I don't think you're in the right place." She's looking me up and down. So I answer that I'm here to sub in the school library. She's looking bewildered and wants to know who I'm subbing for, but once again with her tone I sensed she felt I wasn't in the right place and she's sure I couldn't possibly be there to sub. I would have loved to be able to read her mind. She was asking questions but her tones were saying something completely different. I answer her questions and took no offense. No reason, she's just doing her job. She then asks have I ever subbed there, because she has never met me.

Well, I had subbed there about two weeks ago and she was in the office, lol. That particular time I was dressed in normal work clothes and walked into the office and no one even batted an eye. I had driven my van and didn't need all the protective gear, lol. No one took any notice and didn't ask if they could help me. Luckily, I had been in the day before to get briefed on my sub job with the library clerk who I was to replace for the day. So I knew where to sign in and grab a badge.

Today I walk in expecting to just sign, grab a badge and go Suddenly I'm getting the third degree and only able to walk about four steps into the office. They were nice about it, but leary of this motorcycle garbed woman who had just walked into the school office that they didn't know. I did finally get my pass and was able to go do my job.

This high school is obviously not used to people driving motorcycles and wearing the proper protective gear. As I'm walking thru the halls to the library I get lots of stares from students and staff. They're the kind of stares that if I was wearing a dress I'd have to duck into the girls bathroom to make sure that the back of my dress hadn't got caught in my pantihose, lol.

It's amazing that what you wear can bring so much attention. Everyone at my son's school doesn't think anything of it, but they know me. They do think it's cool that I drive a motorcycle and love it's purple color. The kids there are in childlike awe. At another elementry school I had no problems when driving my motorcycle and walking into the office, they knew me from one other time. They remembered and recognized me even wearing the jacket and chaps.

I guess high schools can get busy and who knows whose going to walk in off the streets and declare they're there to sub. I have been asked to sub there again in a little over a week. I hope for nice weather to ride my motorcycle. If I'm able to do this, think they will remember me by what I wear? LOL

Now I ask you, do I look dangerous? Okay, bad photo, lol.
This is one of the photos for the MSR scavanger hunt last summer.

Wishing you fun journeys in your part of the world,

Biker Betty :)