Point being, in this community, I don't see nearly as much adultism as I might see in a less progressive environment.  A lot of grownups in my life can be impressed by how much I know about climate change or renewable energy, and some even like to learn from what I've studied.  

However, not everywhere is like Paideia.  Not every adult will listen to my ideas, and many certainly won't take me seriously.  An experience of adultism occurred earlier this year at a United Way Women of Tocqueville fundraising dinner in midtown.  The speaker, a member of the board, was Kathy Betty, the current owner of the Atlanta Dream.  There were around forty people there, all of which were fully grown women, leaving me as the only young person in the room.

I was dressed nicely (maybe even nicer than some of the adults), but I was the only person not wearing heels.  I know it sounds silly, but I felt somehow less powerful already, knowing that I'm not grown up enough to wear such professional and sophisticated shoes.  Eager to meet my future boss, I approached Kathy Betty when she had a moment of free time.  I told her how excited I was to be here and to meet her.  When I told her that I played JV basketball for my school, she said in a very patronizing tone, "Wowwww that's great!  Maybe you'll make varsity next year!"  I said I was in 8th grade and she smiled and nodded in a way that made her look like she didn't believe me.

I shook it off.  I wondered if she might be interested in talking about sexism in her profession with my RCG class or even to the entire Junior High.  She said maybe, and continued to talk about "this thing called the glass ceiling."  I sat there nodding, politely letting her know that I knew that already.  After that, during the dinner, Kathy Betty acknowledged the presence of a young person, but when everybody turned to look at me, I happened to have a mouth full of chicken.  They looked disgusted, as if thinking that's why kids shouldn't be invited to these things.

All of that hurt, making me feel stupid and useless.  I knew that I probably knew more about the oppression of women and certainly more about basketball than most of the made-up, high-heeled women in there.

 

But what do I know?  I'm just a kid.