Good Wednesday evening, my Fellow Friday Fictioneers and Fabulous Followers! Today’s story is somewhat outside of my usual fare. I don’t often (if ever) use today’s “in the news” things but this one just came to me. To think I was going in a totally different direction when I first saw the pic. Might go crazy and do a second one with that first idea. We’ll see.
Thank you always to our fearless leader, Rochelle Wisoff (no “e”) Fields for keeping us coming back week after week. And this week, Rochelle chose a most interesting picture from J. Hardy Carroll so thank you to him for allowing us to write our 100 words based on his pic.
Should you wish to read other versions, please click on the Blue Frog. If you want to join in on the addictive fun, click here for the rules and regs…
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Word Count: Toujours 100 Always
#MeToo
“Wooo hooo! Hey there Hot Stuff!” followed by a loud whistle.
She ignore him and moved on.
“That’s a smoking hot body you got there, Girlie-Girl!” from yet another in the same group.
On she walked.
“Oh baby! Gimme a hose to put out the fire you’ve lit under me!”
They were persistent, she’d give them that. Seething inwardly, she squared her shoulders and kept on, totally ignoring them.
Their cat-calling continued, getting dimmer the further she walked.
Finally, all was silent as she turned the corner.
Taking a deep breath she shook it off.
As so many women have.
Dear Dale,
Straight forward and to the point. I felt the inward seething for, like so many of us, at one time or another, I have experienced this. Where do these boneheads get off thinking this is okay? I’d love to hear from some of the men in the group. Grrrrrrreat Story, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Sadly, it is so true. It is so not okay. And how often are young girls taught to believe this is a compliment?
Thanks always. You are my biggest champion!
Lotsa love,
Dale
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I don’t know if there’s something about the way you’ve written this that just emphasizes that tension the protagonist is feeling, or if it’s just me! A very on-topic story!
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I am very glad you did feel that tension. So many of us women have experienced it inn one form or another!
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Very topical!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Sadly!
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An archetypal tale! Bravo:).
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Thank you, Ma’am!
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Good one, Dale. Did you read the same blog post I did this morning? It deals exactly with this. https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/advice-for-young-men-8-tips-for-not-being-a-sexual-predator/
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No, I didn’t. But I will.
It’s just that #MeToo is so much in the news lately…
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Haven’t heard yet. ???
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Sorry?
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Okay. I googled it. Got it now. 🙂
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Ahh..sorry. I just realised it was the #MeToo you hadn’t heard of. D’oh! Yeah… I joined the bandwagon when I realised I was going to dismiss inappropriate behaviour towards me. Not any more…
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There are always jerks in the world and certain industries, such as many of the trades, tolerate and even encourage this sort of behavior. Of course as we’ve seen in the news lately, the problem is much more wide spread.
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That it is, James.
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One time when I was working at the donut shop, I was in the process of mopping the floor. Think of a square with the SE wall extending a little because that’s where the toilets were.
I’d done the washrooms and was working out down that south aisle. The door was at the NW corner of the square, kitty-corner to the washrooms, you could say.
Some fellow walked in the door with the muddiest boots I’ve ever seen in the city. Instead of going straight in and then turning toward the washrooms, he turned toward where I was mopping and tromped with his size 13s, tracking mud all across where I was mopping and where I’d just mopped. FUME!
So was he clueless, just not paying any attention? Or did he do it deliberately? Did he think since I had the mop I could easily clean up after him? He never spoke—and I couldn’t lip off to a customer. But I’ve always wondered just what his attitude was toward women, or women working, to tromp over my clean floor like that without even a “Sorry.”
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He was a certified Asshole. And didn’t give a rat’s ass about the “girl” with the mop.
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Nice one. I can only imagine how it must feel to be hassled like that just walking down the street (or indeed anywhere).
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When you are young, you can actually think it’s a compliment…
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Nice use of the prompt, Dale, bringing it round to a very topical issue. Well done.
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Thank you, Sandra. I try to avoid it but this time it wrote itself.
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I remember a girl once telling me that she was upset because she never got wolf-whistles when all her friends did, and it made her feel less attractive.An interestingly different take Dale.
Click to read my FriFic!
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It can feel that way too. I used to…
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Bravo Dale, we must all stand up and be courageous. No more!
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Right!
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That’s that … sad but the truth, reality all written in 100 words. Nicely done with the prompt Dale.
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Thank you, Norma. So glad you liked it.
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You’ve done a great job of describing a situation that ought to have died out with the original cavemen, as opposed to the few (increasingly small I hope) who are still around. As a man I have no idea how it would feel to experience this every day. I live near a racecourse that holds an annual “Ladies’ Day” at which it’s normal for a substantial proportion of the racegoers to get ridiculously drunk then head into town and behave in a way that many wouldn’t want to be reminded of the next day. I had to walk through the crowds on my way home from work. While weaving through people of both sexes vomiting and urinating (occasionally at the same time) in the street or alleyways, I was sometimes on the receiving end of shouted offers from women to participate in activities that would have tested the energy and flexibility of a young man, never mind an old codger like me. Of course, none of the offers was serious, but I still felt embarrassed and uncomfortable.
On the other 364 days of the year, it’s a lovely place to live.
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Thank you for sharing this, dear Sir. I am sure a small population of the male gender has been on the receiving end of inappropriate – the other night I had nigh school chums over for an oyster fest (bloody he’ll, I can’t believe we’ve known each other for over 40 years – ahem!) And 2 of the men admitted to having been sexually harassed on the job.
I too hope the numbers of cavemen (and women) keep reducing…
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Thanks Dale. By the way, an oyster fest sounds very decadent!
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It was. Very much So! We are 280 oysters plus sides and desserts! And let’s not even discuss the wine to go with… 😉
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Great story. Great message. Great resolution.
The urge seems to be hard-wired into men. I was with three male business colleagues once – they were nice men, civilised professionals – when an extremely attractive woman walked past. They stopped talking, and their eyes tracked her until she was out of sight. Even their postures changed.
They didn’t misbehave, there were no whistles or catcalls, but for twenty seconds all three of them were thinking of having sex with that woman.
I’m with you. Let’s call out bad behaviour!
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Hard-wired indeed. It blows my mind. I suppose we are guilty of similar behaviour…
But let’s face It, the ratio ain’t the same.
So glad you enjoyed It, Penny
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Inspired take on this prominent feature in the news. Wonderful that your female character is not a victim. Excellent piece.
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Thank you so much, Ina
No way was she gonna be a victim!
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I never had actual “hooted” or wolf-whistled at a woman, but I have admired their assets. 🙂
Had a chicken plant girl check me out one time. Her head spun around like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. It was a little unnerving. Her picket-fence grin made it even worse.
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Points to you, Sir… and nothing wrong with a discreet look-see – we women do it all the time 😉
As for the chicken plant girl… I’m sure you ran like the dickens!
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I still get cold chills just thinking about it.
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#MeToo My story is much darker, but I’ve had to walk the wolf pack. It is never easy, nor should it ever happen.
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No, it shouldn’t…
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I hope this behaviour will soon be a thing of the past.
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So do I. I fear it will take a while…
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Well done, Dale. Sadly it is a slice of life.
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It je. And thank you.
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Saddest thing is that these fools think they’re giving compliments. Idiots.
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Exactly and they’re all insulted when we don’t act all happy…
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Well written Dale. Not something I see happen anymore. I don’t know whether it just doesn’t happen here or perhaps I’m now too ancient for anyone to bother with (though I don’t here it happening to anyone else either).
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Thanks Irene..
Maybe it’s just that you live in a more respectful area…
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Very powerful Dale.
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Thank you, Andrea
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Excellent. Perhaps I should consider myself fortunate that any wolf whisltes in my young days were never for me – I was the non-descript girl in National Health glasses.
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Ahhh… it’s a little crazy. In the one hand, we are flattered to garner such attention; on the other, it’s not really that comfortable to get them.
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I find it devastating that these things happens… I wonder how men might even think that it’s OK to do that. I actually never found that kind of company comforting… to0 close the the bullies I used to hide from.
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It’s a phenomenon that I fail to understand. As I mentioned to others, when I was younger I was actually flattered that it happened and would smile in return. But I don’t think I would have if the comments were more crude…
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This works so well, the way you use the ‘hot stuff’ insult but also how things get ‘dimmer’ (a bit further away from the fire of the insults?) and her breath at the end – which also recalls fire and how difficult it can be to breath in both situations. Fab!
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Thank you so much. I hate to admit that some of it happened quite by happenstance!
I so very much appreciate your comment!
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A timely editorial. … Well done!
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Thank you, kind sir!
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Oh god. So true. Well told Dale. A true life horror. Made my skin crawl
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Thank you, Laurie. It is distasteful…
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I think the only time I’ve seen women behave in this way was when they were drunk, and that only rarely. It’s a cliche but definitely hard wired into many men. No one should be made to feel as uneasy as this girl has, yet it happens all the time.
Well writtne Dale
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Thank you, Lynn. And yes… I have seen women do that when inebriated – it gives them the “courage”….
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Not a pleasant kind of courage, but courage all the same
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I wish this had had a more positive or funny ending. So true to life, unfortunately.
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It would have been nice to put a positive spin on it…. Not so easy!
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And to think cat-calling is just a tip of the iceberg…Great story, Dale!
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Thanks so much
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So true…
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The worse is when they are obscene.
Of course I don’t have to worry about that any more.
I am over 50 and am now invisible, and I am okay with that.
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I am over 50 too… I don’t think we are invisible just above that behaviour…😏
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A topical take on the prompt and brilliantly penned Dale!
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Thank you, Dahlia!
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Some may laugh but I swear I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about this kind of thing when I got old. However, old men are around, both married and unmarried, who will try to touch a hand, etc. It never seems to end. When I was young I got whistles and was embarrassed. Good writing, Dale. 😦 — Suzanne
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Thanks, Suzanne. It doesn’t, does it?
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Nope, it doesn’t. 😀 — Suzanne
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You tell the story with admirable restraint ! Such a familiar scenario, even in 2016.
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Thank You!
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Such an accurate depiction of what we as women have to deal with all the time. Thank you for posting this!
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Thank you for reading and commenting!
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