WOE IS ME

The first time I used the phrase, "How big do they grow women where you come from?" was in response to a male boss telling me and another woman, "You girls take that cart back to salvage." 

Harold, who was a recent transfer from Kentucky, looked startled and asked, "What does that mean?" I said, "Your calling me a girl is just like calling a black man BOY!" He said, "Ah (I) didn't mean to be offensive; ah (I) figured it was a compliment." I responded, "Your thinking that's a compliment is even sadder--I've worked very hard to become a woman!" 

Later on, when I went into management, Harold and I became friends and he had many admirable qualities (such as choosing me to be a supervisor) and having a great sense of humor.

He would always pronounce woman as "woe-man", exaggerating the "wo" part of woman; one time when he said it, I commented about our regional speech differences and he laughed and said, "Ah (I) say it like that because you are WOE TO MAN!"

I forgive almost anything if a person is funny!