Differences

Today the difference between men and women was reaffirmed to me.  To be honest, this difference is reaffirmed to me on a daily basis, but this situation takes the prize for the week.  (But Dad's mammogram story takes the cake...however, that is a different story for a different time.)

Last week I worked offsite reviewing year-end calculations for my company.  I spent three days, January  12 - 14, at one location with the same group of people.  I've been to this site several times and I know the people fairly well.

One of the individuals who works at this office is in his 50s and single.  If you don't know, to be a 50 year-old-man and single in the LDS culture is a little unheard of, especially if you've always been a bachelor.

Well, the bachelor got engaged on January 7.

DIFFERENCE #1:  He decided it would be cool to see how long it would take the rumor mill to spread the word...so he didn't tell anyone at work.

Hello.  I got engaged at work.  Literally.  But you can sure as heck bet that would have been the first thing I said to anyone the next day had I not gotten engaged there the night before!  I have yet to meet any girl who isn't bursting at the seams to shout from the rooftops that she is engaged.

So, said bachelor goes to work all week and doesn't tell anyone.  Well, let me amend that statement.  On Wednesday he told our boss.  But when you swear someone to secrecy, it doesn't count.  (It also doesn't help the rumor mill get going...)

On Thursday, some of his friends or relations talked with a fellow co-worker, as they all happen to be in the MoTab and were at rehearsal.  And thus the beans were spilled.

On Friday I finished up my last day at the site.  Apparently word had gotten around about the engagement.

DIFFERENCE #2:  I didn't find out.

Now, if a woman had gotten engaged, you can bet her girlfriends would have taken it upon themselves to make sure everyone was aware.

At noon a group of us went to Subway to grab lunch.  I was the only woman in the group. (When you are an accountant in Utah, you start to get used to this lopsided ratio.)  The bachelor had a lunch appointment and did not join us.

DIFFERENCE #3:  No one mentioned the engagement.

I don't know about you, but whenever a friend of mine gets engaged, that is going to come up at some point during the lunch conversation whether or not the friend is present!  It's not gossip, it is sharing information.

I did not find out until today, January 17, when my boss, (who is a woman) asked me what everyone's response was at the other site to news of the engagement.

"What?  He's engaged?" I said.  I guess that was answer enough about the response to his engagement!