Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I only noticed one micro-aggression at work and that was when some staff members were discussing the hiring of a new coworker. One of my co-workers made the comment that the only criteria she had for the new employee is that she was not old. This was offensive to me because all of my co-workers are in their twenties and early thirties so "old" to them is probably my age. I hear comments like that all the time and it makes me feel hurt and angry that they would judge someone by their age, and that maybe they so not see me as a viable employee because I am a middle age woman.

While reflecting on micro aggressions this week I was able to learn that they happen more often than we think and in many forms and settings. Thinking on my own experiences gave me a glimps of how it might feel to be discriminated against although some forms of prejudice I will never be able to experience. However, they can make me more aware of my own words and actions toward others.