I remember turning 30 and wondering if I was finally in the decade where people would take me seriously. I spent many years of my early 30s teaching college composition and continuing ed classes and older students often scoffed when they came into the classroom. “You are the teachers?” They’d say.
A decade later, I realize there is not an age where we ever take women seriously. They’re either too young to know anything or old hags who can’t do anything. There is never a magical couple of years in between where a woman is really allowed to be the expert in the room.
I’ve written about politics in the Midwest professionally for 18 years now. People often like to ask me questions about politics in the Midwest and then immediately disagree with the answer. This often happens a lot on dates. And I’m too tired to be angry about it anymore. I don’t even say anything. I just smile. Change the subject, then never see them again.