The office staff were a close knit team. All five knew the names of everyone’s spouses and children. The annual Christmas party was “one big happy family”. And now… excitement! A new staff member had been hired!
The name was Alex Alexander. But was it a girl or a boy? A woman or a man? Annette, Raewyn, and Beth claimed Alex Alexander would be male (the “er” rather than “ra” at the end of the surname was a give-away!) Nigel and Murray claimed that Alex Alexander would be female. The anticipation!
The day arrived! Alex Alexander’s first day at work! A delightful person! Fitted in perfectly with everyone!
But no one had the lack of grace to ask: Excuse me; are you a woman or a man? A curse on unisex dressing and hair styles! Raewyn asked “Are you married?” Yes! The spouse’s name is Kim. They had two children.
Beth claimed she could detect a slight bulge in the trousers, and Murray swore there was the faintest sign of a breast. Which bathroom was used was no help; both sexes shared the same facilities.
It wasn’t that they were being rude or anything; in fact, they didn’t ask because that was the courteous thing to do. But they just wondered. Knowing makes a difference – whether you like it or not.
And do you know? It took them all week to find out!