Disclaimer: Today's piece is not about diminishing any criminal activities or sexual harassment. I'm aware that the examples that I provided are not on the same level. My main point on today's writing is to "keep our hands to ourselves."
Some of you may not be aware of a sexual harassment situation in the news last week. It involved a waitress who was groped by a customer at a restaurant. The waitress quickly reacted by pulling the man by his shirt, and throwing him to the ground. The Police was called, and the guy got arrested. Here's the video:
(Only first 13 seconds)
Now a lot of women are applauding the waitress, while coming down on the man saying "You can look, but don't touch." Many are also blaming the waitress for the way she dressed. I'm not sure if that was her work uniform just like a Hooters restaurant, but regardless I say "Keep your hands to yourself no matter how tempting it may be."
With that said, women are also guilty of touching others inappropriately. Here are some of the evidence when some women can't resist:
Exhibit A: Touching a Muscular Man
Not all, but some women feel the need to touch a man's biceps or abs just because they see it. This has happened to my husband even when he has his shirt on. These women think this is normal behavior because the men either don't say anything out loud to them or they just welcome the attention and flattery.
Exhibit B: Touching Pregnant Lady's Belly
Why does a pregnant lady's belly automatically become a hand magnet by both men and women? I remember being touched once by a man that I already knew when I was pregnant, and it felt so weird and uncomfortable. What people don't realize is that they're touching an intimate part of someone's body. Imagine touching a woman's belly who she's NOT pregnant.
Exhibit C: Touching Babies' Leg Rolls
We can all agree that babies are one of the cutest creatures in the world. Most people just want to hold them and kiss their chicks. Many of them have rolls of fat on their legs, which can be adorable to some adults. But why is it okay (for all except the parents) to intimately touch a baby's legs while it's not for a 5 year-old? Think about that...
Exhibit D: Touching Hair That Looks Different
Not everybody can relate to this one. But some people just automatically think they have permission to touch someone's hair without asking for permission. They do it out of curiosity because it's different from theirs. That's understandable since people are drawn to what they can't grasp But again, these people don't realize that hair is part of someone's body. It's one thing to have people you know touch your hair, but it's a whole different story when it's by a stranger or an acquaintance. Most don't have any issue with their hair being touched; they just want to grant the permission to do so first.
So men AND women, just think twice and resist touching others inappropriately or without their permission, no matter how irresistable and tempting it may be. When in doubt, just keep your hands to yourself.