Well, that's a new one.

Because I'm still new in Seattle, I'm often meeting new people. Today, I was talking to an older man who had sat in front of us in church (apparently, he already knew my brothers). After a long and somewhat awkward conversation, his wife joined us. "You're one of the university kids?" I replied in the affirmative. "Where at, and what are you studying?" As I usually do with Americans, I explained that I went to a small Christian University in Calgary, Alberta and was studying English. With a disgusted look, the woman said "that's boring" and turned her back to me, effectively ending the conversation. I ended up talking to her husband for a bit longer, and then thankfully, the service started. 

Now I've gotten a wide range of responses to my comment "I'm studying English", but never one quite like this. Typically when people totally disapprove of my major, they sit and lecture me about it. How I'll never get a job that pays anything, how it's a complete waste of my time, how I'm just a nerd, how boys don't like girls that think, etc. At the very least, this woman was brief. Her summary of "your major is boring, therefore, you are as well" is actually mildly amusing. Rather than giving me a patronizing lecture, she didn't even consider me worth her time. Still, it's far better than the hell-fires that I deserve. Thank God that it's about Him not me and I don't have to be wallowing in self-pity or trying to boost my pride from that sucker-punch to the ego.