I have to start this off by saying that I am so glad that I have a thicker skin in person than I do online. While chatting online, I feel like I can say and do whatever I want in regards to how I defend myself against people who talk down to me. In person, I'm naturally shy so it takes a lot for me to show my emotions, even when I'm ready to explode into tears or a fit of rage.
As many know, I am spending my time volunteering to earn some experience and some community service hours before I apply for college. On Monday's, I'm a receptionist at a youth drop off, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, I spend my time at a food bank, where I'm supposed to be doing reception but, people don't think I can handle using a computer. This is where the title of this blog comes in.
This past Wednesday, I was at the food bank, holding down the Welcome Area when my co-volunteer, Melissa, was asked to help out in the food bank downstairs. She had to leave the computer, where she was putting in Data for tax returns, and asked me if I could take over that between answering the phone/greeting guests. I said it was no problem, and she handed me the file she was working on. I have been trained in Excel, so it was a breeze for me and I started flying through it faster than Melissa had ever done it before. After three minutes however, I was told to stop.
My boss, who is usually very nice to me, came over to my desk and said she didn't want me to do the data entry. I asked why, showing her that it was going well and that I was almost done, and she just said, "I want someone more experienced to do this." I asked her what she meant and she said "Melissa is older than you. She has more experience working with the program. I've already told her to come back." Before I could say anything else, my boss was taking the file and the computer and putting them in a different spot for Melissa, who was making her way back up the stairs, very unamused.
I just sat there, dumbfounded. I'm not young exactly, but I'm not old. I'm the youngest one there at 28, with Melissa 10-12 years older than me. Melissa apologized as she went into the room and sat there with her files. After a few minutes, and a few phone calls, my boss' boss comes by and hands me a stack of papers. She looks at me, with the biggest smile on her face, and asks if I'm capable of folding pamphlets instead of using the computer. At this point, I've had enough, but because I find it hard to mouth off in public, I just grit my teeth and folded her pamphlets without complaint.
My age has never been an issue before. I've been looked down upon for my weight, my lack of experience, and my lack of education, but never for my age. This was very new and hit me in a way that I never anticipated. I was looked down on, made to feel stupid, because of the fact that I am at least 10 years younger than anyone else there. I was flipping back and forth over whether I was staying or leaving at the end of this month when Melissa and Rob, my supervisor, leave, and I think I have made the decision that leaving is the best thing for me.
I may be young, but I will not be looked at like I'm stupid because of my age. No one knows my story but me. No one knows what I'm trained in and what my capabilities are until I am given a chance. I refuse to be someone's pamphlet folding bitch.
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