Dresses

Mom: General Warehouse Worker. That is what I did when I started out at the job in Texas. It was like a treasure hunt finding the stuff to box up. Where I worked you picked up a piece of paper that had a list of items with numbers, walked through the warehouse finding the items, much like looking for library books... put them in a box and took them to the conveyor belt for someone to fill with packing material and tape up to be shipped. Then the boxes would go along the belt to the shipping station and be labeled and put on a pallet and someone would come along and pick up the pallet and load the boxes onto trucks to be shipped. I ended up doing all of those jobs before I quit working there, which was because your Dad joined the Navy. I really enjoyed it.

Me: It wasn't scary working in a warehouse with a bunch of guys?

Mom: There were equal amount of both and I like working with guys anyway. Much preferred to women.

Me: I don't. Guys have trouble telling the difference between being friendly and being interested.

Mom: Does not bother me if they are interested, I can handle flirting.

Me: I don't like it.

Mom: Why?

Me: because some of them get mad when you aren't interested and it's scary.

Mom: You just make sure to include your boyfriend in the conversation so they know there is not a chance in hell. Depends on how you handle it usually. Friendly but matter of fact. Like, thank you, but you know that is not going to happen. Or, you want me to go to dinner? Can I bring my husband?

Me: Did you wear a jumpsuit while you worked in the warehouse like Rosie the Riveter?

Mom: No, that was in the clean room at Hyundai. I dressed in normal clothes, which back then was skirts/dresses. Yuck!

Me: lol That's all I wear! Since I gained weight, I can't stand pants.

Mom: But you wear them because you have a choice, I did not.

Me: After you got married you had a choice, didn't you? Wasn't this when I was a baby?

Mom: No, I still did not have a choice. I later would put pants on and change before your dad got home. I suppose I could have made it a choice, but that came later. I finally said no more.

Me: That's crazy It's like you grew up 70 years ago.

Mom: Yep.

Me: How did Dad react when you started wearing pants around him?

Mom: He did not like it. Said I had to put dresses back on if we sent to visit family, I told him then we would not be going. Instead, I called and let my parents know that I did not go to church anymore and would be wearing pants.

Me: He was afraid of what your family would think?

Mom: Exactly, I had to tell them that it was my choice, not his.

Me: Oh, he was afraid your parents would think he was a bad influence? That's kind of funny. Do you think he cared other than that? I remember him liking you in really shot shorts so if that wasn't the case, he certainly changed his mind later.

Mom: Well, he certainly liked looking at other girls in pants and make-up, which I pointed out.

Me: Lol, what was your parents reaction when you told them?

Mom: They did not really react.

Me: So you expected this huge blow out that never happened.

Mom: Yep. I was an adult after all. In fact my mom ran pretty good interference for me. My grandparents reacted more strongly and I told my mom I would not be going to see them anymore, so she told them to back off.