Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Adding Insult To Pregnancy

I'll admit that I'm shallow and insecure and that whenever I get hit on (whether the guy is decent or a bum) I come home and brag about it to my husband. I don't know why I do this. Maybe I like to let him know that some lunatic singled ME out of a handful of passerbys to berate with desperate cat calling. Or maybe I like to remind my husband that other people find me somewhat attractive and that he should be lucky to have me. Or maybe I just like to make him jealous.

However, cat calls and desperate flirting is NOT flattering when you're nine month pregnant. Rather, it's down right insulting.

Today, I was walking to the ferry when a guy on a park bench winked at me and called out, "How YOU doin'."

I ignored him and walked three feet before some teenager on a bicycle yells to me, "Hey, you dropped something!" I had my hands full so I turned around to see what I dropped. That's when he smiled mischeviously and said, "you dropped your smile."

First of all, that's the worst attempt at flirting I have EVER heard. I dropped my smile? What the hell? That's not an attempted compliment or a flamboyant inuendo. It's simply lame. But what should I expect from an un-seasoned 15 year old. Young padawon has a lot to learn if he wants to get lucky with a comment like that.

Secondly, yelling out to a nine month pregnant lady is not flattering or even funny. It's plain disgusting. Not to mention, insulting. It's like calling a fat kid "slim" and asking if he likes cake. It's like tripping an old man with a cane- and then punching him in the back while he's still planted face first on the ground. Like asking a one-legged kid to a race. Or asking a bald person with cancer who their hair stylist is.

I'm tired, nauseous, huge, waddling and definately FAR from being the object of anyone's desire. Especially now since I looked in the mirror and noticed that I've been walking around sporting a HUGE ketchup stain on the bottom of my shirt. It's located on the bottom of my belly (the southern hemisphere of my globe) and, apparently, visible to the entire plant but me.

5 comments:

Andrea said...

Perhaps your glowing pregnant body is so earthly feminine and goddess-like, they can't resist. Or maybe they just have some sort of creepy preggo fetish. Who knows. ;)

the dragonfly said...

Just keep thinking "not much longer..."

But yeah, that was a pretty bad line. :)

postscript said...

Once I walked around with a stain all day. Of course, I didn't have the excuse that I couldn't see it. I was just oblivious :P

Liz said...

I lived for a while in a neighborhood that has a real problem with constant catcalling.

I think people confuse catcalls and stranger attention with sexual interest, or really any kind of interest. I'm not sure they're the same thing though. It's more like an ego game for the guy, "I can say what I want to you because you don't count."

It is creepy. It's also very obvious that is what's going on only when, as you found out, the woman is clearly not in the sexual market or "trying to put it out there."

I wish more women would glare or otherwise indicate that it's not ok for the guy to say whatever he wants whenever. Sure it's flattering to hear, "You're pretty!" But they'll just as quickly call you a bitch for not talking to them. It all comes from the same, not very nice, place.

Liz said...

I lived for a while in a neighborhood that has a real problem with constant catcalling.

I think people confuse catcalls and stranger attention with sexual interest, or really any kind of interest. I'm not sure they're the same thing though. It's more like an ego game for the guy, "I can say what I want to you because you don't count."

It is creepy. It's also very obvious that is what's going on only when, as you found out, the woman is clearly not in the sexual market or "trying to put it out there." And telling you that you should smile at all times when in public! No one would do that to a man who is a total stranger!

I wish more women would glare or otherwise indicate that it's not ok for the guy to say whatever he wants whenever. Sure it's flattering to hear, "You're pretty!" But they'll just as quickly call you a bitch for not talking to them. It all comes from the same, not very nice, place. It has nothing to do with sexual interest.