What planet are we on??

I guess the same sad one. Yesterday, B and I had to go to the bank to sign some papers; the appointment was with a middle manager. Out she comes to greet us. She is about 30 -- or as I say, 12. Maybe it was my lack of makeup, my thrown-on outfit, my ill-matching scarf and gloves, or my worn boots, but she treated me like an ignorant, old wife.

"Have a seat Nancy. Are you sure you're OK? Now, you just have to sign a few documents and I'll walk you through them, so don't worry. Are you familiar with Brian's accounts? Do you know how the banking is done? Have you ever done any of the household banking?"

I was stunned. "You know, you really should familiarize yourself with your finances. As a matter of fact, I am dealing right now with a poor widow who is having a very difficult time figuring out her finances and it's always a good thing to learn, in case anything happens to your husband."

I was more stunned. This young know-it-all-smarty-pants automatically presumed I was some kind of loser/doormat who had no clue about anything. She did not ask me about my background, whether I had a job, whether I had ever had a job, whether I was a heart surgeon, whether I was an astronaut, whether I had split the atom...No, she just carried on blabbing in smug ignorance, taking as a given that I was a perfect dummy and that it was her job to explain the world of high finance to me and everyone else she met. I could just picture her at a party, boring the life out of everyone unfortunate enough to have to talk to her. Memo to the Royal Bank: update your training program now!

Before I came to my senses, I heard myself saying, "Oh, I have had a long career and many senior positions, so I am familiar with bank accounts." What was wrong with me??!! I worked for Revenue Canada, for G-d's sake, so money is not a mystery. I quickly caught myself. Settle down, sister and give your head a shake...is what I felt like saying. But I just became very icy -- not that she noticed. She was going on a vacation to Hawaii with her husband the next morning and that was all she could talk about -- that and her experience with Shaw cable......as if I cared. The complete lack of self-awareness and sensitivity was breathtaking!

It was a sad moment. As I said, what planet are we on??!!