scaredy cat

Yes, I laugh at my friends who lock their doors and cars. I scoff at people who won't hike alone or walk alone late at night on the streets. And before you launch into the, "well obvioiusly you've never had anything bad happen to you" rebuttle, read on.

I have been taken advantage of and bad things have hapened to me. I was followed and attacked by a drunk man in Edmonton when I was 18 - another man on a bicycle helped me out and led me to safety, a man cornered me and grabbed my breast in the Victoria YMCA when I was 17 - I punched him in the ear and ran away, a man followed me through Melbourne when I was 23 and grabbed my ass before trying to steal my bag - I was speaking on a payphone with my dad at the time so did nothing because I didn't want to alarm him. And, yes to all you people who think otherwise when I say that I don't lock my doors, I have had my home broken into - locking my doors did nothing to prevent it. In fact, both times I've had my cars broken into the doors have all been locked thus forcing the theives to break my windows to gain entry. So why don't I feel afraid? Because I refuse. Sure, I have experienced the after shakes, the feeling of being exposed and ashamed, but nothing long lasting. If anything these encounters have made me more ruthless. I think it's disgusting to live in fear. Obviously caution is important, but come on. Stop watching Dateline horror stories and get out in the world.