She's the man

I work in a field that is traditionally and predominantly populated by men.  Most people "go with the flow" when they find out that a female now holds this position.  Most people.

In the past two weeks I've come across two codgers that weren't so happy with this fact.

Example #1:  A farmer came into the office with very specific questions regarding soil testing, crops, cattle, the whole enchilada.  After playing 20 questions with him and doing a very respectable job of holding my own he looked around the office and said, "Well, that's all nice but where's the man around here?"  To which I replied, "I am the man around here."  He looked at me with a bit of bewilderment in his eyes - probably due to the fact that he had no option in the office but to talk to me.  I decided to keep the uncomfortableness going.

"Yep," I said.  "Can you believe they went and hired a woman?"  It was like I had pulled the words right out of his mouth, and he wasn't too thrilled that I had beat him to the punch.

Example #2:  I was on the phone with a producer that was absolutely adamant that he had met HIM before.   "You, know, the man that runs things around there." 

Uhhhhh-huhhhhhh.  I made sure to ask him, twice, if he meant my predecessor, Jeff.

"Nope, I met HIM at Jeff's retirement party and had a great talk with HIM and I just can't wait till I'm back in town and I can have a nice long talk with HIM and HE can help me with my problems."

I finally couldn't take it any longer.  "Sir, I don't know who you met at that retirement party, but I am the HIM around here."  (It didn't sound quite like that but I can't remember my exact words.  Something equally genius.)

Funny thing, the silence of confusion and disappointment sounds very similar over the phone.