I'm Respectful Not Spineless

I come from a well to do background, private schools, private college. Swimming pool and tennis court in our back yard. I was raised to be independent. When I was ten we had a groundskeeper, he was from Eastern Europe and we called him Joe. He had white hair and white whiskers. He spoke hard to me, I did what he said, when he said.

Later in college a man I met at church would reprimand me for being loud, wearing inappropriate clothes to church. I always shut up, and wore the right clothes. Then I went to work. Way above me a man told me to sit straight, to cross my legs ladylike. He told me that I should not be friends with a guy. He corrected me. My friends, both male and female criticized me for letting him talk to me like that.

All these men remind me of my grandfather, I am not sexually attracted to them. But I do respect their authority. I don't feel ashamed or my feelings get hurt. They aren't hurting me, the opposite, they are looking after me. One smile from them and I'm good for the day.