So I presented what I was to present to the board. And then I told them they need an individual or a committee in charge of this project. (If you want more details e-mail me. I am still utterly exhausted, even after napping this morning. Besides, I'm not sure if I should go into *all* the details here.)

And they actually took me seriously. I couldn't believe it. I made them laugh, I answered their questions. They started forming a board to oversee and direct this project on the spot. I mean seriously. They had a leader and two members, another they were going to ask, and the director of the school was going to be sending a list of potential other members to the director.

And we are allowed to focus on grants.

I told the chair I would need five minutes to present, which I didn't even fully take. But the discussion lasted for at least half an hour. They are seriously pursuing a project that has always existed, but always in some weird abstract wouldn't it be nice sorta way. And I'm glad.

The current inactive chair of the grant writing committee put a lot of work into this, and was hoping we'd get somewhere whilst he was gone. He said he had a feeling we would make excellent progress with me. I suspect he was trying to be supportive. But he made a lot of strides, and we've covered some good ground in the last few months, and it feels good that now this is in the stages of becoming a reality.

We have a lot of grants to write over the next several months.

It also felt good to be talking to adults in a productive manner where they actually listened to me and took me completely seriously, especially the men. I was treated as an equal. Because of my age, my sex, and the whole SAHM thing this often doesn't happen. Maybe the voyage into my thirties helps :). Truly, though, I am not so much different as I was in my later twenties in these sorts of situations except for the fact that I'm no longer surprised when I'm belittled or coddled because of my age/sex/circumstances. I expect it. And it didn't happen! My mind is still blown.

They treated me like I was intelligent, knew what I was talking about. Like I was competent. Like I was a peer.

They treated me like a human being.

When was the last time that happened in this sort of situation? I could actually tell you what I think, and I suspect it would be very surprising to a lot of people.