Now trust me when I say, I know this job isn’t always easy as a women. When we wake up, we don’t get to put on our new favorite outfit, doing our hair is useless, we don’t get home smelling like flowers, our nails usually stay short and dirty with nail polish lasting about 15 minutes in to the day and we’re usually cooking dinner in our dirty work clothes. The list goes on.
But please believe me when I say, the longer your in the industry for, the more you will get comfortable with all of it. I promise
More comfortable with tools, more comfortable on the job sites, with others, yourself and generally everything.
When I started, I felt uncomfortable asking for a raise or a salary I thought I was worth. I would of never dared to complain about anything, from outhouses that we’re just to nasty to even open the door , to sexual harassment, to unfair pay.
I was questioned on why I made a big deal at the Christmas staff party, when my butt got grabbed twice. I was questioned on why I was angry when I was rushed to the hospital with a kidney infection during the Covid 19 outbreak in March due to not having access at I all to a bathroom. I honestly often felt like my job was always at risk because I was a minority.
But every time something out of the sort would happen, I had Derick by my side, reminding what I was worth and reminding that I have every right to demand to be treated like any other worker, with respect and dignity.
Today, I feel comfortable using/trying any tool handed to me. I feel comfortable being smelly and dirty and I feel comfortable not being dolled up.
I feel comfortable looking at a man dead in the eyes and telling him what salary I want and what I need to make my job possible. I feel more than comfortable telling someone off for staring for to long or saying/doing something inappropriate about me or any other women. Today I know that I have a place in the industry
I know that I’m just as important as any other carpenter, I know that I have a voice, I have the right to speak up, to learn and to grow in the industry just like anyone else does .
Today I know that when I walk on to the job site, I’m gonna rock any task that’s given to me.
