The man’s comment was one I have heard before, in various forms: “Boy, for a woman, you really know your (vulgar slang).”

My response to him was that I didn’t know whether his words were a compliment or an insult, although I was pretty sure he meant well.

Currently, I am the only female docent working in a transportation museum, where I discuss the history of vehicles as I lead folks on tours. Over the months, I have heard both men and women express surprise that a woman is knowledgeable about what is assumed to be a man’s area of expertise.

Why do we still have gender role expectations? Why are certain behaviors and attitudes considered acceptable and appropriate, or inappropriate, depending on one’s sex?

My experience with the museum visitor got me thinking, and I realized just how prevalent such stereotypes remain in some people’s minds. A number of folks I know have been subjected to questions or suspicions because they don’t conform to a certain pattern of behavior or display the traits society expects of their gender.

Other individuals still harbor outdated ideas about the roles, by tradition, men and women are supposed to play in society.

Even something as simple as colors can upset some folks. One friend, for example, recently lamented not knowing the sex of her soon-to-be-born grandchild.

“I don’t know whether to make the blanket pink or blue,” she complained, to my amusement.

Who cares? It’s a blanket. Males wear pink, females wear blue. What’s wrong with yellow or green or a pretty combination?

She would be surprised to learn that pink was considered a masculine color in the Middle Ages. Men also wore high heels back then as a status symbol - the higher, the better.

Depending on the time period and region of the world, gender roles were radically different. They are not reliable or constant. They developed over time in various cultures and are not based on natural human behavior.

Women cook and are caretakers. That is an assumption many people hold. But men are just as good at both those roles as women are. Many top chefs are men, and in my circle of friends, several husbands do all the food shopping and cooking.

One male acquaintance is a kindergarten teacher. He said people have questioned his motives, as though wanting to teach young children is somehow perverse, but teaching in a high school or college is OK.

A male nurse, a female carpenter, a female minister and a female auto mechanic, all people I know, have been subjected to insensitive or rude comments and questions because these folks do not fit traditional gender roles.

The funniest story came from a female captain for a major airline. She flies the big commercial jets from Philadelphia to the Caribbean, round trip, three times a week.

She said a man who once boarded the plane and then realized she was the captain demanded to get off and told her he was going to insist the airline switch to a male captain for the flight.

“Good luck with that,” she told him as he disembarked.

She never saw him again.

She has been flying for decades, without incident, but obviously her competence was not taken seriously by that male passenger.

Such stereotypes can be harmful because they can lead to inequality in how roles are distributed, not just in society, but even in the home.

Kids may be given dolls or tea sets or trucks or sports equipment depending on their gender. Why not mix it up and let the youngsters have exposure to everything? Let them choose what ignites their passion.

Fortunately, the thin line that long separated gender roles gradually is being erased. Traditional roles are irrelevant in modern society. They do little more than create barriers between people.

In today’s world, gender roles are not clear-cut categories any longer. Men can be nurturers. Women can be politicians and generals. Age-old norms no longer dictate expectations for us. Truly, we can follow our dreams.