(no subject)

[pebblerocker]

I can't tell which occasions are an encounter with someone who uses "bro" or "mate" as gender-neutral terms and which are people misreading me until after the double-take, if there is one. I think the man at the tyre shop is one who calls women "mate"; I mean, I've just had a haircut and was wearing my baggy checked shirt, but I was carrying a handbag.

When I was 20 it was easy to see how people could mistake me for a short, downy-chinned 14-year-old boy. I wonder what will happen as my skin shows more and more signs of belonging to an over-30 in outdoor occupations. Will having wrinkles make me obviously not a boy? Or will I turn into some sort of ageless, genderless leprechaun creature?

--

I signed up for snapshot_bingo! I always feel arty near the beginning of the year, maybe from the general resolutionary atmosphere of New Year, maybe because I'm halfway between NaArMaMos. I'm not sure what the general artistic standard of the community will be like, and if it'll be encouraging or intimidating, but it'll be fun to try even if I don't show the results to anyone. Here's my bingo card:

N	Grand	Bird	Text	I
Fence	Apricot	Hallway	Heard	Wore
Lemon	Imperfect	Free Space	Navy	Children
Smile	Button	V	Favorite	Table
Joy	Fuchsia	Plate	Outside	Aqua

Comments

[spiralsheep]

I've never been called "bro" but "mate" is a reasonably common substitute for "love" so I wouldn't notice that. I am called "sir" at least a couple of times a year, usually by young women. I thought this was an interesting collection of photos of Albanian sworn virgins, mostly aging and having worked outdoors much of their lives:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2012/12/21/jill_peters_documenting_sworn_virgins_women_who_live_as_men_in_albania_photos.html

Thanks for the link to the photo challenge. I've asked for a card, although I can't post the results. You could post your favourite photos to glarmaco?

[pebblerocker]

I've never been "sir"! I think when I'm read as male, due to my height, narrow build and smooth face I'm also being read as younger than I am, and boys of 14 don't get called sir. Possibly people who read me as female are also estimating my age more accurately... although I can recall being "ma'am" only to Maori men. I speculate on various factors there.

Those photos are lovely! Some look like butch women and some I would never guess weren't elderly men, and the fourth one down is exactly the sort of ageless leprechaun I was thinking about when I posted.

Glarmaco! Of course. I'll take my camera when I go out today.