My best friend e-mailed me just yesterday about a conversation she had with the director she has been reporting to as a consultant. It was an odd conversation, started by my friend to address how she is perceived by the rest of the staff. BF is slightly younger than I am, very smart and in a position with some older men with more experience.

Somehow, and she wasn’t entirely clear about how it came about, the conversation took what I thought was an odd turn. From her e-mail:

He asked what I thought others thought of me. I said, I don't know to that one. He replied and said that some find me very easy to work with and some think I am pushy, however, he thinks that is unwarranted because they are throwing it out of proportion. He said in a meeting a couple weeks ago with a bunch of directors, he asked, how much cleavage is too much? So he asked me that in terms of how I dress. I told him I thought I dressed okay especially since I always wear a wrap. He asked if I thought my job and treatment in the area is effected by the fact that I am pretty girl with nice hair and a nice personality. He also said that someone like me doesn't need to try so hard, unlike some others out there.

Anyone else slightly creeped out? She assures me it "wasn't like that" but anyway. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition to the recent New York Times Feature, "The Feminist Reawakening Hillary Clinton and the Fourth Wave."