Just when you thought it was safe....

Not sure I was astounded, but was highly disturbed by two separate incidents at work this past weekend.

As I was finishing cleaning the visitor center, one of our volunteers--a few years my senior, but not extravagantly so--lowered her voice, speaking under the protective cover of her hand. "If you go downtown today, be sure to not wear red." Huh? My quizzical look said it all, so she continued. "The gays....they are having that parade today, and they have all agreed to wear red."

Thankfully I did not skip a beat. "Oh, I didn't know it was today---I've often walked in the parade before I started working weekends." She knew I was not gay, as we had had many conversations about sex & boyfriends, and she was quick to add that she didn't do that simply because she didn't like "getting hit on," I suppose assuaging herself of any bigotry at that point.

I responded that getting hit on didn't happen much, but when and if it did, I would take it with the same compliment (or non-compliment) that I took anyone's attention with.

My disturbed state was furthered the next afternoon, when returning to work for my second shift. Two rangers and myself, all working, all in uniform, when one says, "go look at the door to the back room---there's a cartoon I think you'll like." Obviously, he didn't know me very well, as the "cartoon" was a photo of our asst. park manager and one of our ranger's backs---both very "manly" appearing men standing just millimeters apart, up on a wall, looking down into a corral area, hands so near they could have been touching. He had written a "brokeback mountain" type caption across it and taped it to the door.

I didn't bother flying off the handle, but simply came back into the front office and stated that it was not funny, and that he could either take it down or I would. It's just too boring to repeat all that was said (including his saying that his sister was gay!!----what a wonderful time she must have had with such a sensitive brother.) His supposition that it was funny BECAUSE it was two of our most burly guys just made me sigh and point out that he was still saying that it would be hilarious if they WERE gay.

Of all the things to be concerned about in today's world...how sick that this is still on anyone's list.

And wouldn't the park service be thrilled to see how "well" their mandatory diversity training works? Oh, wait---they don't care if it works, only that they satisfied the letter of the law and avoid discrimination legal suits.

there otter be a law

It;s too much to ask---that these sleek wonders somehow "learn" not to cross a highway.

For me, it's never been too much to ask, even back in the day of the inception of Highway 441, and more so I-75, that consideration be given to routing above, around, over known and possible animal crossings and corridors. Slightly raised bridges or underground tunnels every so often should have been a basic requirement of road building everywhere, saving countless animals and people.

I'm told that otters don't go far afield unless courting, and these two were together, running home to play and make babies when so brutally hit. No one ever calls anyone unless the human or car is injured----a great sadness, as some animals can survive if given treatment---and they are left to be found by saddened park staff.

My own world has begun to shrink in some ways when I avoid night driving, but begins to grow in more depth when I know it means one less deathly automobile on the dark roads.