AKA Mrs. Garrett

Sometimes I feel invisible.  When you are the only guy in the room, sometimes you disappear.  Not in a negative, “no-one-pays- attention-to-me” kind of way, but more in the way of melting into the background…. like a really good waiter.

But sometimes I feel like Mrs. Garrett…. you know, the character Charlotte Rae played on “The Facts of Life”….. that’s what I’ve been feeling like lately.

I currently teach dance to children and adult of all ages… It’s my current group of teenage girls that make me feel like a house mother in a sorority lately.  I guess this isn’t the worst thing in the world, but every once in a while, it would be nice to be treated like a “guy”!  Nothing special, nothing extra… just a regular guy.

If I were a different type of guy, I would be excited by the girls changing into costumes in front of me… and then saying “oh, sorry”, when I protest or complain. Or, when I have worked with models or with actresses and they undressed in front of me……….but nope….. it doesn’t count.  You see, I realize they aren’t changing or undressing “for me”… I just happen to be in the room… a house mother….. aka Mrs. Garrett.

I’m always there to offer a suggestion, advice, life lessons, etc.  Today was no exception… with mothers and other students in the room, the girls changed.. with absolutely no regard to my presence in the room.  Even when a camera was out… and yes, I was forced to delete a picture!!!

These are not giggly girls from an ’80s sorority movie, prancing around in their undies having a pillow fight.  These are girls hanging out with each other, just like girls do all the time… when they are alone…..except of course, they weren’t… I was there.   You know what they say….”You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have. The Facts of Life”.  I guess this is just one more fact of my life!!

The major difference (outside of gender) between me and Mrs. Garrett…. I don’t live with all the girls in my life….. it just feels that way sometimes!

Mrs. Garrett

It’s my first time……. please be gentle

While speaking with a group of adult students of mine (all women) about creating this blog, I mentioned that I thought I had a particular point of view of the world because I am used to being the only guy in the room.  Thankfully, one of them said “that’s a great title”.  I had to agree!   I finally realized that my being the only guy in the room has forever affected my opinion of the world at large.

A brief summary for my first blog:

I was raised by my grandmother (unmarried) from 8 years old

My father passed away when I was 12 years old.

Yes, I have brothers (3) but felt like a father-figure more than a brother for most of my life

Worked as an office administrator (aka Secretary) for many companies, eventually becoming an Executive Administrative Assistant… I have never met another male secretary.

Met my wife while auditioning for my first community theatre show.  I was 17, she was 20.  We were married 3 1/2 years later and have been married 21 years at this time!

Our first child was a daughter (therefore I was still “the only guy….”)

We now run a successful, but small, dance studio in Central MA.  I know other male dance teachers….. but not many!

 

As you can tell by the list, I have spent most of my life in the company of women.  I consider myself a feminist… (if a guy can be a feminist).

 

One final tidbit (I like to share this with my teen students):  Some boys grow up to be men, some boys never grow up, but a guy is a guy for life… those are the ones you want.  I have and always will be a guy!