A story from my mom, Diane.

When Diane was 25 years old (circa 1976), she was working as an Assistant Financial Accountant at P&O on Leadenhall Street.

One day, Diane and her boss were auditing a freight forwarding company located in Tilbury Docks. They drove there in her boss’ car. It was the first time either of them had visited this company.

The company had a cafeteria where everyone ate. Mid-way through the morning, Diane’s boss told her that she would be lunching at noon and he would be lunching at 1pm. When Diane asked why, he explained that the women ate at noon in the cafeteria and the men ate at 1pm.

Diane replied that they had travelled to Tilbury Docks together, were working together and were traveling back to London together. So, as far as she was concerned, they were lunching together too. She gave her boss the choice: he could either lunch with her at noon or she would lunch with him at 1pm. He chose 1pm.

So Diane joined her boss for lunch in the staff cafeteria at 1pm. Since there was a woman in the room, the other men present refused to speak. The only conversation came from Diane and her boss.

Be more Diane.