I'd found a corner way from others and I was looking forward to a quiet time of reading over a cup of coffee, but a group of business people sat at a table close by only minutes later and stole my café moment.
They were well dressed, business attire they probably feel makes them seem more powerful and dominant, and they were brash, loudly outspoken, arrogant and not at all careful to hide their glances my way; it was as if they felt by demonstrating they were looking appraisingly, with interest and appreciatively was something I should value and like. Egotists.
I did not value it though, or like it - instead I felt uncomfortable, vulnerable and I wanted to move. Instead I held my ground out of reluctance to walk past them and buried my face in my book.
I took this image
I've been in similar situations and never feel comfortable. I don't like the attention, being undressed with their eyes, sly smirks just loud enough so I can hear, glances over shoulders...bending over to tie shoe laces in a bid to see under the table and up my skirt...pigs. Disgusting, filthy little pigs. I don't deserve being made to feel that way.
Men look at women, I understand that...a man looking at me is how I met my partner after all...but there's a way to do it and many ways not to - and the men at that table certainly did everything wrong. I was repulsed.
Manners have largely disappeared to be replaced with ego, selfishness and entitlement and rather than people relying on their personalities they rely upon things: Clothing, fancy watches, cars and other material things; displays of wealth they feel validate them. It's not nearly enough though and the most important things like manners and courtesy, engaging conversation, interesting personality, a sense of humour, kindness and generosity...they seem to be mostly gone, discarded as redundant.
Society is a tide and upon the shore washes the filth and detritus that humanity can be and the complete opposite as well.
There are few gentlemen these days and those that are often get drowned in the filth such as the table of disgusting pigs in that café recently. It's very sad, and I don't know when society shifted that way, or when it became okay for a group of men to act in a manner that left a lone woman feeling such discomfort and a degree of fear. Fortunately for me my man is a gentleman...and fortunately for that table of filth he wasn't there to deal with them.
Becca 💗