ET0FNB

One ritual in the Hindu wedding ceremony is when the bride puts her (naked) foot on a stone and agrees to be the rock of the family. Patriarchal as this is, I like it because someone has to  stand up for the family and the children, and I take this part of my job very seriously.

Meek as I have been, as I am, I feel it’s important to stand up against any perceived injustice and you will have seen the effect on Friday night when I had a really unpleasant conversation with a music teacher who could not handle being questioned and went for an all-out attack strategy with me.

I care very deeply what people think of me, and I’ve been very upset ever since, both because no-one I consider intelligent has ever spoken to me like that and because there is structural injustice occurring and I need to let people know about it.

Today, however, I am relieved because I went in for a meeting with two eminently reasonable men who actually listened to my point of view. Finally I feel that I have been heard; that my concerns have been taken on board and that, despite possibly being a little late for MsDD, my intervention and suggestions will make the annual audition process a little more transparent for students in future years.

Essentially so many problems come down to lack of communication. But I also deeply resent having to pick myself up off the floor and move on constructively when someone with a heap of insecurities who is emotionally and intellectually immature or unprofessional decides that they are going to have a meltdown that involves attacking me. There are far too many of those people around, in my view and we need to hold them to account and be that rock.

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