Office conversation?

So, as you may or may not remember, I work with a bunch of men.  They are cowboys and farmers and I have come to realize that there are not many topics that are off limits and that makes me laugh.  When I share conversations I have had with co-workers with friends, they are a bit stunned that we discuss these sorts of things at work.  Things like artificial insemination and chicken sex and how far dilated their wives are when they are in labor.  The shock register from my recounting of discussions of "private things" is something I'm not sure I really understand.  It isn't salacious, it isn't crude, it is all pretty matter of fact and discussed without embarrassment.

I have never really given it much thought, but is it possible to discuss pretty much anything in a public work space without embarrassment or am I just in a rarefied world things like copulation can be discussed in a respectful sense and nobody, man or woman, gets embarrassed?

The dirty jokes don't really circulate, everybody is pretty happily married, the guys bring their children to work with them when their wives are busy or they can't get a baby sitter, so they are pretty progressive.  Do you think that's why I can talk about watching birds copulate and nobody blinks an eye?  Is it because sex is a good thing and everybody realizes that?  Or is it just the make up of that particular group of people?

I was sort of thinking about that when I watched "Boyhood" today.  At one point in the movie, a divorced father has his two children with him at a bowling alley and he is talking about one of the daughter's friend's pregnancy.  He has a pretty frank talk with them about avoiding pregnancy and either abstaining or using protection and the children are embarrassed and he is embarrassed, but he has the talk and I think it was one of my favorite parts of the movie, because it was discussed.  I have a strong suspicions that the dads I work with will be having just as frank of discussions with their children, but I wonder if the embarrassment from the father's will be there...after all they don't seem to have issues talking about estrus and sperm with their co-workers...

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone!  I am posting something sort of religious in this post, so be prepared.


I was thinking about Easter and it's meaning in a religious sense this weekend.  It is about resurrection, which in essence is about starting a new life.  Jesus didn't just come back from the dead to return to his old life.  He returned to a brand new life.  So, I think about the presence of God in his people and I have seen it quite a bit lately even thought they probably don't realize how important their actions are.

I saw it the other day when a student who skews rather young and doesn't really fit in was accepted to by a single student who in turn made him a part of "his" group.  The student who wasn't good about being teased, was giving it as good as he was getting the other day.  They were all in my lab working together and just giving each other a hard time, while actually getting my assignment done...outside of class...yes, believe it or not...outside of class.  The action of that one student including the outcast made me proud and I liked seeing how that outcast had a new school life because of the actions of that one.

I was at church the other night and being a Catholic, we are pretty ritually driven.  We were welcoming people into the church in a three hour ceremony (yeah, we do ritual really well...and long!) and our leader had to go home sick.  All of us just picked up the slack and the participants came into the church.  I hate to say she wasn't missed, because she was, but her not being present didn't affect what happened, because we all pulled together and all those people are starting a new life.

I have a small car.  I was bringing home mulch to spread in the flowerbeds.  The woman across the street offered to let me use her truck for the day so I didn't need to bring home a few bags at a time.  She saw a need and offered a solution.  She thinks it's important that neighbors help neighbors.

So, little moments of people being kind and being present to those around them.  It made me happy and thankful and I just wanted to share a bit. 

While I'm being thankful, I'd like to thank all my cyberfriends as well, who send me long e-mails answering my questions and post on my blog giving me fuel for thought.  I am indebted to all of you...and I am also thankful.

Happy Easter!