Not Nearly As Intimidating As She Might Have You Believe
I believe I met Kat at my first communities conference in 2003. I'd been a member for less than a year and had seen her around but had never been introduced. She needed a ride to her car parked quite a way from the conference site and Pax, I believe, asked me to give her a lift in one of the zippy carts. It had been a long day so Kat wasn't in the mood for chit-chat. Boy, did I think she was tough.
Not that she was rude or mean or anything. On the contrary. She was quite cordial and thanked me for my time. But her strength shined in her aura. Plus, in my mind, she was a superstar. She seemed quite an imposing figure to me.
Months later, she was relaxing with some friends on the deck outside the hammock shop. I joined the group and was pleasantly surprised by her humor as she railed against something-or-other. A ranter and raver. A woman after my own heart.
Not long after that, she needed a ride home from Twin Oaks. I don't even remember the particulars, but I offered to chauffeur her. She had much more energy on that slightly longer ride than our first interaction and we had a lovely conversation about nothing in particular. I now started to see her as a much less intimidating person.
Soon thereafter, Anja started working for her once a week, doing house chores and gardening. Anja needed someone to cover for her so I offered. When Anja asked Kat if she wouldn’t mind me covering for her that week, Kat’s response was something like this: “Marcello? Oh, I like him. But wait! Would he be willing to do women’s work?”
Anja laughed out loud. Until she realized that Kat was serious. Even as a maverick, Kat still had some traditional notions. We often laughed about that. I ended up doing her women’s work for her that day and, soon after, she hired me to come in on another day each week. Mainly, I chauffeured her around and ran errands for her. But she also felt comfortable allowing me to prepare her lunch, dust and vacuum, and even do laundry (even though she was initially certain that I wouldn’t be comfortable folding her undergarments!).
Kat taught Anja and ma an appreciation for ornamental gardens. We were both only interested in gardening for food. and thought it frivolous to spend time planting and tending flowers. But Kat had a schedule that kept her front yard alive with color and vibrancy from early spring throughout late fall.
Through Kat, I came to have a deep appreciation for forsythia, red bud, dogwood, and the many varieties of smaller flowering plants she kept thriving on her property. I think of her every time I see a new crop blooming.
I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to become so close to such an amazing woman.
Not that she was rude or mean or anything. On the contrary. She was quite cordial and thanked me for my time. But her strength shined in her aura. Plus, in my mind, she was a superstar. She seemed quite an imposing figure to me.
Months later, she was relaxing with some friends on the deck outside the hammock shop. I joined the group and was pleasantly surprised by her humor as she railed against something-or-other. A ranter and raver. A woman after my own heart.
Not long after that, she needed a ride home from Twin Oaks. I don't even remember the particulars, but I offered to chauffeur her. She had much more energy on that slightly longer ride than our first interaction and we had a lovely conversation about nothing in particular. I now started to see her as a much less intimidating person.
Soon thereafter, Anja started working for her once a week, doing house chores and gardening. Anja needed someone to cover for her so I offered. When Anja asked Kat if she wouldn’t mind me covering for her that week, Kat’s response was something like this: “Marcello? Oh, I like him. But wait! Would he be willing to do women’s work?”
Anja laughed out loud. Until she realized that Kat was serious. Even as a maverick, Kat still had some traditional notions. We often laughed about that. I ended up doing her women’s work for her that day and, soon after, she hired me to come in on another day each week. Mainly, I chauffeured her around and ran errands for her. But she also felt comfortable allowing me to prepare her lunch, dust and vacuum, and even do laundry (even though she was initially certain that I wouldn’t be comfortable folding her undergarments!).
Kat taught Anja and ma an appreciation for ornamental gardens. We were both only interested in gardening for food. and thought it frivolous to spend time planting and tending flowers. But Kat had a schedule that kept her front yard alive with color and vibrancy from early spring throughout late fall.
Through Kat, I came to have a deep appreciation for forsythia, red bud, dogwood, and the many varieties of smaller flowering plants she kept thriving on her property. I think of her every time I see a new crop blooming.
I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to become so close to such an amazing woman.
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