She’s creeped out by a strange man she keeps seeing on the walking trail.
Most mornings I walk by myself on a forested walking trail. Like most women, I keep a special eye out for my safety .
Recently, one man has starting appearing on my walks. At first he seemed okay, and so I said “hello” back to him after he greeted me. But very quickly I started to get what can only be described as creep-vibes, based on the way he was looking at me, the way he’d try to engage me in conversation , the way he’d show up on the more secluded parts of the track I walk and seemed to be waiting for me.
I stopped saying hello because I wanted him to get the hint: I’m not interested, so leave me alone. And yet, he keeps persisting; his behavior is getting weirder. I’m changing the time I walk so I won’t run into him. But I want to know what is socially acceptable in these situations.Women seemed conditioned to think that we must be friendly, but I don't buy it.
Next, I would override that inner voice about what might be “socially acceptable,” and focus completely on self-protection. I would also reread “The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence” . This book is author Gavin de Becker’s own gift to people — women, especially — in instructing us to pay very close attention to our body’s signals for when we are in danger, and to act on those instincts.
We’re worried that people don’t want to come to our wedding and that we will have to scale our plans back dramatically. I feel like a loser because this was my responsibility. What should we do?This issue is universal. It’s not you, it’s them. Now is the time for you to rattle the mailbox. If you have a wedding website, you can post a notice: “We’re still waiting to hear from some guests. Have you sent your RSVP? If not, click here …” Otherwise, start emailing/texting people.
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