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This is a sad reality for me and every woman I know. And yet, on reading this, I'm remembering one time when a man saw what another man was trying to pull, and literally got between him and me to shut it down. 1/Thread. https://twitter.com/clairewillett/status/1285401215791017987
It was late after church one Sunday night, and I had to stop and get gas or I risked not making it home. (yes, not good planning, but college poverty plus I hate stopping for gas so I often let my tank get to E.) 2/
The Sun Valley neighborhood where Grace Community Church was was not exactly an upscale part of L.A. back then. So I was already on high alert and knowing I needed to get this thing done fast. 3/
I parked at a pump opposite where a guy - tallish, definitely a few decades older - was also getting gas. As I did all the things with the gas cap and the nozzle, the guy tried to strike up a conversation with me. 4/
"Nice night." "Where are you headed?" I just got off work." "Thinking of going to get a drink." "Want to join me?" "Do you live around here?" "You don't look like you belong in this neighborhood." "What do you do for a living? "
Etc. Etc. Etc. 5/
Etc. Etc. Etc. 5/
He didn't do this all at once - 1 or 2 questions at a time, which I answered in monosyllables. (B/c nice Christian girls are conditioned that no matter what a man is saying to her, we're obligated to respond, and politely.)
"Yes." Oh." "Home" "Oh?" "No." "No." "Oh." "Work". 6/
"Yes." Oh." "Home" "Oh?" "No." "No." "Oh." "Work". 6/
(Nice Christian girls also know that "Stranger shooting his shot with pretty girl" and "stranger wanting to find out where you live/work/hang out to do bad things to you". are interchangeable states of mind with some men. Thus the default fear. 7/
When my tank was full enough that I knew I could get out of there, I did all the things to put the nozzle back and heading inside the convenience store to pay. Except now I was going to have my back to chatty creepy man, and I was afraid he was going to follow me in. 8/
I walked *fast* towards the door, and as I went inside, something unexpected happened.
An older man wearing overalls stepped into the doorway. He just stood there, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe, making himself a human barrier to anyone else wanting to step in. 9/
An older man wearing overalls stepped into the doorway. He just stood there, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe, making himself a human barrier to anyone else wanting to step in. 9/
It was a second as I stood perpendicular to him, handing my credit card to the cashier, that our eyes met, & I realized what had happened.
The man had seen what was happening, read my reaction, and literally stepped up to help.
"You'll be alright", he said.
"Thank you". /10
The man had seen what was happening, read my reaction, and literally stepped up to help.
"You'll be alright", he said.
"Thank you". /10
I smiled wordlessly as I walked back toward my car. Creepy chatty man and his car were gone. Whatever he was going to try to do next he decided not to. All because an old man in overalls got in his way. /11
This happened maybe 30 years ago, but I still remember it vividly. Ironically, I don't remember all that much about what the creepy man looked like. But I've never forgotten the sight of the old man leaning in the doorway, saying "You'll be alright." 12/
Yes, the world is full of bad men. But there are a *lot* of good ones out there. And sometimes they're there just when you need one. That man was that day, and I've never forgotten it.
#goodmenareoutthere
#goodmenareoutthere
Women, feel free to share your own stories of strange men being good, and not bad. My male friends tell me it's hard sometimes when there's so much of the other kind getting so much airtime on the Internet. Good to push back the darkness with some light.
#goodmenareoutthere
#goodmenareoutthere
