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From: janec@tektools.UUCP (Jane Caputo)
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.social
Subject: Re: Intelligence
Message-ID: <262@tektools.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 21:11:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: tektools.262
Posted: Mon Jun 10 21:11:47 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Jun-85 20:12:27 EDT
References: <456@ttidcc.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
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Xref: watmath net.singles:7260 net.social:649

>You said it. I was one of those at the upper end of the SAT scores in high
>school, and it took tremendous effort to be invited (or even considered) to
>any social functions. It wasn't a cruel crusade or anything -- it was just an
>attitude of "well, I didn't think you'd be interested." Girls did not want to
>be seen with "a brain"; they'd rather be seen with "a jock".

I went through it too, and it's no more fun for a teenage girl than for
a teenage boy, believe me. I didn't help it any by turning down dates 
with anybody who wasn't "appropriate" (practically everybody).  I wish
I'd had the sense to ask the appropriate ones out, but that was a *long*
time ago :-) and that kind of thing just wasn't done, even by adult women.
The female "brains" just decided we had more worthwhile things to do with 
our time than dating.

One thing we had was a great supply of equivalent boys who also didn't date,
the intellectuals, the nerds, the arty types, and a couple of drug-using
meditating types (I'm talking the very early sixties here, when this was
unheard of in a small town.)  We were terribly defensive and downtrodden by 
all those jocks and cheerleaders (terminal depression was a requirement for
admission to the group), but we also had a great sense of being a separate, 
horribly superior, world unto ourselves.  And in the course of providing 
mutual support through our depressing, dateless Saturday nights we managed to 
have some wonderful parties.

All in all, I have never found a more fascinating group of people than my
old high school crowd from Longview, Washington (pop. 25,000), and I've been
in some pretty high-powered intellectual environments since then.  I ended up
going to New York City when I graduated, directly because of the influence
of those friends.

And to top it all off, I had the satisfaction of going back to my 20-year
reunion and hearing that several of those jocks wanted to ask me out,
but were afraid to (with good reason).  Now, I don't know if that was really
true, or if that's what comes from having a few drinks and taking a good hard 
look at their small-town wives, but anyway I'm thoroughly convinced I got the 
best of the deal. 

I still have a tough time finding men as intelligent as I am, and I'm 
convinced it's harder for a woman because a significant number of even the 
most intelligent men are intimidated women with equal ability.  And even
more are intimidated by strong-minded, independent women.  But I keep 
looking.  Getting there is definitely half the fun. :-)

Jane Carrasco Caputo
{allegra, ihnp4, decvax, ucbvax...}!tektronix!tektools!janec

Jane Carrasco Caputo
Tektronix, Inc.
M.S. 74-900
P.O. Box 500
Beaverton, OR 97077