1943 Guide to Hiring Women

I found the following here.  I don't often laugh out loud at things (and I never use LOL), but when reading this I did actually laugh out loud!  I could also groan in agony or fist-pump in rage, I suppose.  But as a relatively liberal woman employee who works in a very conservative office, I choose to laugh.  It's healthier for me.  So I'm sharing the hilarity:

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.

“Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There’s no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men.

The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they’re less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn’t be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It’s always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that “husky” girls – those who are just a little on the heavy side – are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination – one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they’ll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can’t shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman – it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl’s husband or father may swear vociferously, she’ll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator’s uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can’t be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

Mark, Day Eighteen

OK, so you may have noticed that I haven't posted on Mark for a few days.  When I originally conceived this blog intention, I did not look closely enough at Mark.  I was thinking it would take me 2 weeks.  I've now passed 2 weeks, and I'm only half-way through Mark.  And while I love the discipline of reading a little every day, the writing about it is bogging me down a little.  I find that if I write about Mark, then I'm a lot less likely to write about other things, and I have all these half-formed ideas of blog posts in my head.  So I've decided to modify my intention.  I'm still going to blog about Mark, but my goal will now be only 3 (or 2) times a week.  So without further ado...

Mark 11

• Here we have the triumphal entry, cursing the fig tree, driving the money changers out of the Temple, and questioning of Jesus' authority. 
• I think I'm feeling distracted today because I don't have much to say.  The only thing that really strikes me here is Jesus seems very cranky.  Not in the triumphal entry section, but in the rest of it.  Cursing a fig tree because it's not growing figs during non-fig season?  Isn't that a little nutty?  But he does have a lot on his mind.  His death is quickly approaching at this point.  His disciples and the religious leaders are all unable to understand him most of the time.  And no one will give him a break.  I can see why he would be cranky (is that blasphemous - to call Jesus "cranky"?).  It's just not the way I often picture Jesus in my mind. 

Our Week in Pictures

Much of this week was consumed with Vacation Bible School, for My Man and Kiddoes, at least.  I missed out on most of the madness since our crazy church is one of the few that still does VBS in the morning (during work hours).  I can't say I'm too disappointed by that :), but I wish I could have seen maybe one day of it.  Sounds like it went well, even if it was exhausting.  We like the format of this particular VBS - more about experiencing the culture and one story from beginning to end (Old Testament Joseph) than about a silly theme with Bible stories randomly tacked on.  

Here are the Red and Purple teams doing their cheers!  The Red Team's cheer was a whole song set to the Wonder Pets music.  The Purple Team's cheer was "Go Purple!"  I'm sure even that was a challenge with young 3's and 2-year-olds!

 

Bright One's favorite part of each day was the Egyptian Beauty Parlor.  Here's my Egyptian Princess:

She came home with braids in her hair, jewels on her face, and more and more eye make-up every day!

Here's My Stud (in his dress and flip-flops!):

And here's our pastor making bricks in a wading pool:

What I don't have is a picture of the Dance Party on Friday night.  A Dance Party in a Baptist church!  There were quite a few comments on the dancing prowess of My Stud.  Be still my beating heart!  He's definitely the dancer in our family.

Here's some art time this week.  The Girl and I made some secret messages (white crayon on white paper) for each other.  We uncovered our secrets by painting over them with liquid watercolors.  Then we made a couple for Daddy to uncover when he got home from work.  Here he is working hard on one:

And much to my surprise, The Boy decided he wanted to paint, too!  I can almost never get him to do arty stuff with us, but if Daddy does it, he's all about it.

The Girl and I (with a little help from The Stud) finished The Boxcar Children, so now we've started on Little House in the Big Woods.  Surprisingly, I never read this series as a child!  It's a little longer than I expected, and heavily descriptive, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how well The Girl still enjoys it.  We read a little every night and sometimes during the day - all at her request.  One day this week she made the following Little House picture with popsicle sticks (complete with Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura & baby Carrie).  She started the house in 3D (kinda like Lincoln logs) but then couldn't get the triangle roof she wanted, so she reverted to this:

And finally, some pictures from Touch-A-Truck - a great event in Salem where they gather TONS of trucks and other vehicles for kids to climb in.  We got rained on a little, but it was still lots of fun.

No pictures of me this week (surprise, surprise :) ), but if there were, you'd see me crazily working on various craft projects for The Girl's upcoming birthday.  She's decided on a Princess Tea Party theme, and I've decided I can't go the easy route.  Oh, no, I've got to be crafty!  So far I've finished a birthday crown, almost finished a princessy skirt and trinket box and pennant banner, and just started some princess wands and tissue paper flowers.  And I'm debating whether or not to try making something rather large out of salt dough.  I think I might be crazy.

"I see you"

My Man and I watched Avatar this past weekend.  For the first time.  We're not exactly up-to-date on our movies (particularly me).  The fact that I saw this one within a year of its release is a bit shocking.  I could see how this movie was impressive on the big screen.  On the small screen - not so much.  It wasn't a bad movie, but mostly it was big on action, light on plot.  And the minimal plot was pretty predictable from the get-go.  But it was a decent popcorn flick, I guess.
 
What struck me about it, though, was one small thing:  the way the Navi (Na'vi, Nav'i?) greet each other with the phrase, "I see you."  Not hello, or hi, or yo, or any variation thereof.  No, it's "I see you."  And for some reason, that small phrase has been running through my mind ever since.

That is what I long for, I guess - to be seen.  As the consummate introvert and perpetual newcomer, it's a big challenge for me to get past the smile and nod phase.  Even among groups of people I've spent significant time with, I still often feel like an outsider.  This is largely because of my personality, but still I long for more than just an acknowledgement of presence.  I long to be seen and known, to be allowed on the inside.  And when someone takes the time to invite me in, I am inordinately pleased and uplifted. 

But do I say "I see you" enough?  Do I pay attention to the outsiders in my midst?  Or even the insiders?  Large groups are overwhelming to me, and I tend to draw within myself or focus on the few people I actually know.  But I, of all people, should be searching for the others on the fringe.  To say, "I see you."  Because we are all worthy of being seen.  We are all valuable creations of God.  We all have brightness within us.  And I hope that I will be more aware of others' brightness as I travel through this new place.

Mark, Day Seventeen

Mark 10:32-52

• So yesterday I said that at least the disciples had enough sense not to tell Jesus they were discussing who would be the greatest.  But today 2 of them (James and John) forgot that sense.  They actually asked Jesus to be at his right and left hand.  Just after Jesus has been teaching that the first will be last and the last will be first.  And that he will be arrested, tortured and killed.  Goodness gracious, these disciples are dim-witted. 
• And then Jesus heals a blind man.

And that's all for today!

Mark, Day Sixteen

Mark 10:1-31

• This passage includes teaching about divorce, children, and riches.  What strikes me about it all is that Jesus is kind of harsh in his teaching - anyone who divorces and re-marries is committing adultery, anyone who doesn't receive the kingdom of God like a child will not receive it at all, anyone who is wealthy will have a really difficult time entering the kingdom of God.  Now, I think Scripture as a whole is a lot about God being a gracious God - forgiving over and over, giving new chances over and over, bringing about reconciliation over and over.  But Jesus seems to be saying, don't take advantage of this graciousness.  Don't assume that you have no responsibility in this, that you can just relax because your life seems OK and follows the letter of the law.  Living a God-filled life is not easy.  And we do a disservice to people when we claim that it is (just say this prayer and follow these rules - it's all spelled out for you).  It bugs me when people call the Bible life's instruction book, though I know it's well-meaning and I understand the sentiment.  The Bible is important to me, too.  But the Pharisees and the rich young ruler (and sometimes the disciples) were all following the Bible as an instruction book, and Jesus rebukes them.  Because while they were following the rules, they were missing the point. 

Mark, Day Fifteen

Mark 9:30-50

• The disciples "discuss" (v. 33, NASB) who of them is the greatest, but at least they have the sense not to tell Jesus that's what they've been discussing.  Maybe they're learning something.  Jesus, though, knows, and tells them the first shall be last, last shall be first.  So stop being such ego-heads.  Why, then, does the church attract egomaniacs?  I'm sure you've seen them. 
• Jesus also says, "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me" (v. 37).  And as a mom, this warms my heart toward Jesus, because that's one of my greatest desires - that people receive my children openly, kindly, lovingly.  And when they don't, it breaks my heart.  But when they do receive my children in that beautiful way, they are also receiving me.  So I get Jesus here.  We should be receiving all people (who are all God's children) the way we want our children to be received.
• Then the disciples complain about someone casting out demons in Jesus' name.  Which seems ridiculous.  But points to our tendency to exclude those who don't have it right by our standards.  But Jesus says, "he who is not against us is for us."  Again, opening his arms rather than closing them. 
• But then there's a lot of hell talk, and that just perplexes me.  At this point, I don't subscribe to the eternal conscious torment view of hell, but I don't have a strong theology of hell (or against hell) either, so I'm never sure how to address people who do, other than to say, "well, I don't believe that."  Not that I expect my belief to be necessarily right.  But I cannot reconcile a loving God with an eternal torturer.  This is one area where I should probably read more widely and intentionally so I have a better answer for this.  Maybe Razing Hell by Sharon Baker.  I bet I can't get that from the library, though.