So in high school, I was a runner (as you all know by now) and when it was hot out, I was allergic to shirts. NOT because I thought I had a rockin bod or because I was trying to seduce adolescent boys with my shirtless body (I didn't have many people I actually wanted to seduce anyways), but because running with a shirt on when it's 90 degrees and humid is straight up uncomfortable. Have you tried it? No thank you. It clings to you in all the wrong places and hurts your armpits and NO ONE likes it. This led to me and my friends getting honked at quite often on our runs--I still don't know what people try to accomplish with that. Yes, it's little, but still there.
Then I went to college and my love for heels and dresses flourished. Yes, I wear heels with dresses and skirts like most other college students. Sure, I'm tall. My natural height is not going to stop me from strapping on a pair of heels. As they say on Pinterest, if you men can't handle me at my tallest, then you for sure don't deserve to handle me at my shortest (that is what they say, right?). My love for heels, however, has drawn nasty comments from people as I have walked, with my friends (not alone so don't start that), from randoms on the street. One guy once told me that his "dick was as long as my legs" and that I would love the feeling of him in between my legs. ARE YOU SERIOUS? NO I WOULD NOT. GROSS. I do not dress for you, creepy men on the street, I dress for me. I like wearing heels and I like wearing dresses. Get over it.
Now, I find myself in France. French men are known for being very fore-coming with what they want, which I guess is better than some of the mind games we've all been a part of in America. However, this has led to some also interesting situations here, as I've gotten chased down the street more than once by men who reallllllllly want to ask me to coffee. One guy went as far as running after me after I got away once, followed by him grabbing my phone to call himself so he could make sure he got my real number. (Don't worry, I blocked his number. We're not ever going to talk again). Yesterday, my friend Alexis and I were taking a mid-night snack of falafels and we decided to sit on a bench on the Cours Mirabeau to eat before continuing onto the next club. I'm not kidding you when I say we were legitimately swarmed by French boys. They all kept calling their friends over to look at us like we were zoo animals. Like I'm just trying to eat my falafel in peace here boys, go shave your crustaches plz for all of humanity's sake.
Yes, all of these situations are frustrating for me. But what frustrates me even more is the reactions people have when I tell them. The year after I graduated my high school banned running without a shirt on. I can't remember what the official reason was, but to me, and my former teammates, it came off as "if anything happens to us, it's our fault for not wearing a shirt" which can easily be linked to victim blaming, which is a huge problem. After getting harassed in Madison, people would tell me to maybe not wear heels and a skirt. Well what if I want to? Why do I have to live in a world where I get harassed for wearing what I want? Why is that okay? And everyone in France tells me to be very careful because I'm a tall, blue-eyed blonde American and men will chase me down the street (which they have). But it's not like I'm doing anything out of the ordinary when I get chased down. The time the guy snatched my phone, I was literally eating a crepe and walking to class. Nothing weird. I wasn't wearing heels, a skirt, or even makeup. Just pants and a shirt like EVERYONE ELSE. Like I can be as careful as possible and I don't think much will change. SERIOUSLY how is that okay?!!!!
OKAY sorry that was longer than usual/super ranty but sometimes you just gotta get things off your chest you know? And isn't that why God invented blogs anyways? ANYWAYS I'm going to Rome next week so come back then--It's probable that I'll be mistaken as an Italian pop star and I'll have to perform in the Coliseum!! And that's gonna be good. Maybe me and my bff Gordo will also share our first kiss on the roof!1!!1!!! Idk I don't wanna jinx anything tho. Just talk to me in a week!!!
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| yup |
au revoir guyzzz! until next week!!!!!!
Sarah
Sarah
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| it's super obvious why i get harassed when I look like this |
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