Walking in to a Safeway foods a man sitting at a picnic table at the cafe began yelling comments about my weight. He started by saying I was an embarrassment to women, “Just look at those fat legs, your sinning against GOD!” he shouted.
“You know women are to serve man, it says so in the Bible, your looks show me you don’t serve your man!” he was so outraged that he stood up and was spitting as he yelled at me.
“Someone should hit you in the head with a Bible,” and then he even took a step towards me with his hands in fists I just stood there calling his bluff. He was changing color from flesh tone to purple as he screamed.
“Your husband should put a lock on the refrigerator until you look respectful.”
I shook my head and stood there in shock, looking at him in all his anger. I felt so sorry for this pathetic person. I said, “I have a verse for you from the Bible that you hide behind in your discrimination, ‘Thou that has not sinned cast the first stone’…. but I forgive you as you can clearly see I am no a small person…”
I walked a way to the sound of people laughing and pointing at him. I was hurt but he is so uneducated and so sad how can you take him seriously? I admit after having two kids I have gained a bit of weight but he was not judging my fitness, but how I was as a wife due to my appearance. I admit I was in sweat pants and a over sized shirt but I was buying food for the week not putting on a fashion show and what place did he have bringing God into it?
It’s sad so many people, not just men, have this idea that your attractiveness is a direct reflection on how good of a person you are. I forgive him because it’s small of me not to understand that he was raised like this and through no fault of his own conditioned to behave like this and my only hope is that maybe he thought about what he said to me and will think twice before doing it again. I had no fear of him because I know I could have protected myself against him and I saw fear in his eyes because I did not back down he even retreated when I stepped towards him to speak. I will NEVER let anyone take my power least of all him.
– NL
Location: Fountain, Colorado
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Concealed Weapon says
You should only forgive him if he realizes he is wrong and stops. If he backs down because he is afraid of you then continues to harass other women, he doesn’t deserve forgiveness.
Men are often raised to believe in sexist norms, the most common being those associated with “Nice Guy” syndrome and the second most common being those associated with religion. I highly doubt it’s society’s fault that he’s an asshole, since I doubt he was raised to act that way.
Beckie says
how brave and kind you were. I am so sorry your day had to be interrupted by this.