I'm 36 years old and am constantly teased about my "gammying" (grammying without the "r"). Here, "gammying" is a verb that symbolizes anything stitching related. I could be posting to my stitching blog, reading other people's blogs, actually stitching.... it's all referred to as "gammying." It's just a joke and I don't really get mad about it, but today, it started me to thinking if any of the rest of you ever get stereotyped like this by family members? Does it bother you? I can't say I really like it, but I know it's in jest and I won't get really upset or mad over it. Although, I do find it a bit annoying....
What are your thoughts? I always try to think of a come-back, but I haven't been able to think of a good one yet.... Any suggestions??
PS: Don't forget to comment in my last blog post for my blog give-away!
What are your thoughts? I always try to think of a come-back, but I haven't been able to think of a good one yet.... Any suggestions??
PS: Don't forget to comment in my last blog post for my blog give-away!
4 comments:
If a man's hobby is building model airplanes, is he called a grandpa? How about if he works on cars? Plants gardens? Plays golf? Men have had these hobbies through the ages and nobody calls them grandpas.
You know Karen, sometimes I think that we need to turn the tables on those who say those things, even if it's said in jest. For instance, ask them what hobbies THEY enjoy. Maybe they don't have one (for shame, for shame). And I'll bet that if they DO have a hobby, it's something people have been doing for ages. Then you can say, "Oh yes...my grandma (or grandpa) did that, too!
Well, I get called a nerd, and my Ott light is referred to as my "nerd light" - but since the people usually using those terms are my grown kids, and they are all SERIOUSLY science, computer or academic nerds - I don't take offense.
Mary in MN
I think sometimes I feel a little sheepish and geeking adimtting I'm going to go stitch with friends for the weekend or all I'm looking forward to doing is going home and stitching.
I don't know why, but I should be PROUD of my hobby and what amazing stuff I produce!
Ha! "Gammying" indeed. One would have to be a rather awesome Grandma to be following blogs and writing one's own! There's nothing old-fashioned about that! I'm lucky in the sense that my entire family is creative, in different ways, and so they can't very well say anything!
Responses from people who don't know me well can be downright rude though, with lots of 'what century were you born in again?' type of jabs, and I'm honestly not fond of that. But since these are from people I (thankfully) don't have to interact with on a regular basis, I pretty much ignore it, although I dislike that the stigma exists in the first place.
A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that hand-made work of any kind is an oddity in this modern age of mass production, and people don't really understand the skill and time that's involved, and therefore don't value it as we do.
However, I am heartened because of chance encounters I've had in the last few years, where strangers have actually been interested in what I was doing instead of deriding it. I don't craft in public, but I've had people notice some of my handmade jewellery and crocheted scarves and had them ask questions about the techniques and materials! They seem genuinely curious, and I think that this can only be a Very Good Thing.
As far as your family goes, I'm afraid I can't suggest any snappy comebacks (as I'm really not good at them, lol), but maybe talking about your projects and interests more might help.
I know that I tend to shut down and just not mention things if I know that it will get a negative reaction, so perhaps you could just sort of start working it into everyday conversation to subtly get the point across - 'This is what I like to do, and this is what I'm going to be doing a lot, so prepare yourselves accordingly' type thing, lol.
Or maybe it is the blogging and the spending so much time online that they don't understand; if that's the case, maybe if you try to encourage at least some of them to start their own blogs about things that interest them, it might give them a better idea of how hard it is to do what you do and of exactly how you spend your 'gammying' hours! Even if the blogging doesn't become a long-term thing, perhaps gaining the first-hand knowledge of what goes into it might give them a better appreciation for what you do :) I really hope some of this helps, and I'm sorry for the length of this comment, but you've raised a very interesting question ;)
I also second Lee's approach, lol!
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