The waiter was about to walk off when I said, "Excuse me, that was sexist."
"Yes?"
I rethought the grammatical and psychological implications of what I was saying. I reworded. "That was a sexist comment."
The waiter started stammering in apology. "Well, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way, I didn't mean to upset you," and more of the sort. "I just like to joke with the customers," he said.
I could tell that he either meant it or was a really good actor, and I assumed the first because I didn't feel like giving a lecture at the moment.
**
The assumption he made, though, was what made me stop him and correct him. We live in 2006, a time in which women aren't restricted to the kitchen. We are multifaceted people with talents in many areas; some of these talents can never be demonstrated in the kitchen.
Call me a dreamer if you want, but I think we all are in some ways...just about different things.