The more I read about the MeToo Movement the more it makes me think about my own experiences.
I think most women have faced a man or two who tried to come on to us or promise something to us. However, even when I was young I knew it was wrong and I knew I was not going to do something sexual for someone for something they promised me.
All of these cases are different in there own way but the outcome is still the same.
I will tell me story….I was very young at the time, probably 22 to 24 at the time. I had just received my Certificate from Paralegal school. I was looking for a job and no one would hire me because I had no experience. Through a lot of interviews I thought I had finally found someone who would give me a chance. He was a sole practitioner and had one very young girl working for him at the time. I did think it was odd that when I met him at his office he was wearing clothing that looked like he had been doing yard work. He indicated to me that he would not hire me because I had no experience, but he would let me work there and gain some experience and I could use his name as a reference. I thought…ok…I will do this because I still lived at home and could work with no pay for a while. So, I walked out of there thinking….I am so happy someone gave me a chance. Boy, was I so wrong! The next day I came in and immediately he said we had to go to the courthouse to do some research. I was so excited! On the ride there he started making small talk, did you grow up around here?… that sort of stuff. He then asked if I worked out, because I looked like I was in great shape. He then put his hand on my stomach and patted it. I was so uncomfortable. I just nervously laughed. We finally arrive at the courthouse and we are walking side by side and then he suddenly says “walk in front of me”. What? Why? These thoughts are going through my head. I did and then realized he wanted to check out my ass. What an ass he was! We go to do the research but he isn’t teaching me anything…he just opened the book found what he needed and made a copy. We were then off back to the office…or so I thought. He then tells me we need to swing by his house to pick up something. We go in and it looks like a war zone, he was doing some remodeling. He then just start asking me more personal questions and at that time I was then starting to ask more job related questions so that maybe he would stop being so personal. I was thinking the whole time, what if he attacks me, what would I do? But then we go back to the office and I leave for the day. The next day I arrive and he makes me go to the bank with the other young girl. I thought this is my chance, I’ll get to ask her some questions. Well, she was very hesitate to answer anything and I don’t think she knew much. I felt that she thought I wanted her job so she was not wanting to talk or share anything with me. Who knows, she might have been experiencing the same thing. So, I guess it was a couple of days later and I was chatting with him and mentioned how messy the other girls car was when we went to the bank. I thought we were just making small talk but the next day he calls me into his office and basically says he needed to let me go because he did not want me talking badly about the other girl. What?? Really??
To me it was a blessing that he let me go but now when I think back about it, it just makes me realize how dumb and stupid I was for not saying anything to him and that I should have walked away long before he made me feel bad. Yeah, he was a total jerk and I can only hope that sometime down the road he got what was coming to him.
I did learn a lesson from that and I know I am a strong woman.
Peace Out!
Dear Boo 