LXXIII

Not All Men 

In the midst of the evening darkness, I embark to my favorite local coffee shop in need of an oasis. Pulling my beaten up, old Toyota into the small parking lot, I am met by a middle-aged man. Giving me his spiel, he follows it up by giving me his phone number and requesting money. Terrified, I hastily call my "boyfriend" who is meeting me there later. Trembling, I muster a response to his question, "honestly, I have no cash money on me at the moment." As I head for the shop, he walks with me, still talking. He is nothing but kind, yet I am completely terrified, rushing to seek refuge inside the building. I was afraid of being harmed by him. 

But not all men are like that. 

As a young woman, I'm often told to be careful and to not go out at night alone. However, I went nowhere dangerous. But in the moment, I was expecting getting mugged, or worse, raped. Because in the moment, or any moment, where I am alone with a man I don't know, I have to fear rape or sexual assault. Because not all men are rapists, but to me, they all have the potential to be.