I’m a woman.

I’m used to getting talked over, ignored, belittled, demeaned, and discounted.

I’m used to doing the work and smiling while someone else gets the glory.

I’m used to sexual innuendo, tension, off-color language, jeers, leers, and even outright displays of sexual dominance.  I’m so used to these things, in fact, that I regularly forget they shouldn’t be the price I pay for having been born female.

I’m a woman, and I thank God for all the things I’ve gotten used to.

Because of them I have a quick mind and a slow temper.  I know how to get a job done but not be consumed by the need for accolades.  I know how to wield power without using brute force.

In other words, I’m playing chess, not checkers.

I’m a woman.  Get used to it.