Knittin' Kitten
Argh, just had a shitty night, thank god for this thread!
I went to boxing and instead of Nav running it, it was this HUGE guy that we didn't know who didn't introduce himself or anything. There's only four of us there, two guys who are really good at boxing, and me and Lauren who basically go to lose weight and have a laugh. Lauren was putting on her wrist wraps insanely slowly so I just started doing the warm-up, jogging with the two guys, just taking it slowly because it's a warm-up. And this new guy starts taking the piss about how I'm really slow, and it's like, you said a gentle jog! And this isn't cross-country or anything, I'm only trying to warm up. Then we finished that and he told everyone to put on gloves and pads, but Lauren was still putting on her wraps, so I put on some gloves and went and stood by her. Then the guy looks over at us, looks us up and down and goes to the other guys "Ha, women, eh?" and they all burst out laughing. I know it's only a little thing but it made me want to scream, cause I don't know this guy and I don't appreciate him taking the piss out of me just to impress the other guys, especially when I haven't done anything wrong! And I'm upset and ask Lauren if we can leave cause I just wasn't feeling it, but she just kept saying "No, we'll stay for a bit" so I said that she's being really unfair and she doesn't say anything, but we start up anyway, me just punching her gloves. And then this guy comes over and goes "I know I said lightly, but put some effort in, woman!" and pushes me, so I just took off my gloves and left. Lauren followed me out and told me how stupid I was being and wasting her time and stuff. I'm crying at this point and I told her I can't breathe, I feel like I'm gonna have a panic attack and she just laughs and says he wasn't being sexist, or she didn't think it was sexist anyway and he probably didn't mean it, and I'm trying to explain both that it doesn't matter whether he MEANT it to be sexist or not, it still was and I don't appreciate being bullied, especially because I love boxing so much because it's fun exercise, there's no pressure because we're not that fit. And then I said that could she not just care that I'm having a panic attack, and she looked away and didn't say anything, which I took as a no and left. I went over to Andy's and cried on him for a bit and he said he understood why I was upset and is gonna talk to Nav about it. Then I get a message from Lauren telling me how I'm such a shit friend cause I'm always "baking cakes with Beth" (I've seen Beth ONCE on our own, and that was for an hour to watch One Tree Hill) and that I always ignore her when she's upset, which I fucking do not, I once didn't know how to reply cause she was threatening to commit suicide and I hate when people do that because I have friends that are genuinely suicidal and I know a teenage girl who's been over-dramatic, but I still took the time to ask her what was wrong and stuff.
It just depresses me that this is what being a woman is. This is what I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. People (not even just men) who think it's okay for me to be treated like a non-person. There are people who still think that if a woman wears a short skirt she deserves to be raped. There are people who don't think women should vote. And I know, it's not just women. Lots of people still think that gay couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt, or that black people shouldn't be allowed in England. It's just a scary world, you know? And I'm gonna have to deal with this my entire life. So no, he didn't say anything that horrible, but if we still let people get away with this casual sexism then how can it ever end? It just scares and upsets me. And now I have work to do and my back is killing me and I just want to eat a truckload of chocolate but simultaneously feel fat because I haven't had boxing today.
Posts by Knittin' Kitten
I thought the name was funny actually, and the fact that it said like you get 1000 "man points" for joining that group, I thought it was all a bit silly...and chances are, it started out as a silly joke, but it went too far.
I almost got a tattoo on my lower back - everyone said I shouldn't because they look horrible but I didn't care, the only reason I decided not to get it there was because I don't wear low trousers/short tops so you'd never be able to see it. I got mine at the top of my spine instead, it looks quite nice there and you can show it off easily but it's also easy to cover up.
It depends what design as well, some things won't look right in certain places.
I found in Sainbury's a Jack Daniel's poker set for £8 so I might get that. It comes with a little bottle of Jack, some Jack Daniels playing cards and the poker chips (which I think are undecorated.) I was thinking about decorating the chips but that'll take FOREVER, so I might just buy it. And then make him a tshirt and I'll be done =) (spending so much money this week)
No I hate crowded places. My brain reacts by just shutting down so I don't panic, which isn't good. So I just walk round in a total haze.
Yeah I totally would not believe someone if they said I was someone famous reincarnated. But I've often wondered about it. Not sure whether I believe it or not but it's definitely interesting.
Hmm...measure him in his sleep? =D
I used to get panic attacks pretty badly. They would range from small ones where I'd find it hard to breathe and got dizzy, to huge ones where I'd just collapse and scream at the top of my lungs, thinking I was going to die - I'd be running out of breath from the screaming, knowing that if I don't breathe soon I'll die, but just carried on screaming, hoping someone would help me.
They're pretty nasty but I would recommend not going on medication for them. I was offered anti-depressants but turned them down because of all the horrible side-effects. There are ways of learning to deal with them - normally breathing exercises do it for me. I was told to breath in for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. There's another one which is like breathe in for twelve seconds, exhale for seven seconds, making sure you get enough oxygen in.
It's a lot more satisfying if you find a way to deal with them yourself. That doesn't mean you can't go to the doctors or to a counseller but try to resist the "easy-out" of medication.
Also, if you find something that triggers them, do NOT try to avoid that situation, it'll just make them worse. There was a certain place in my school that triggered them because I'd had a huge one there, during which people threw things at me and kicked me (doesn't help the thinking you're gonna die haha.) But unfortunately there is no easy way out - you just have to learn to cope with them your own way. Chances are it's something you'll have to deal with for the rest of your life; I know I still feel them coming on every now and then, but you'll find a way to deal with them and then they won't be so much of a problem.
And as Heather said, it's great that you're talking about it. A lot of people don't, and then the problem gets worse. Also, don't be afraid to tell your parents and your friends - that way it's not a dirty secret of yours, and they'll be able to help you calm down. I was lucky and had one right outside the house of a girl who suffers from them, so she knew to just kneel down and hold my head, tell me everything's going to be okay, stroke my hair etc, which meant I ended up just crying on her lap instead of screaming, then eventually stopped crying. When I got home I had another one, and I was on my own in the house which was quite scary, but she'd given me something of a technique to deal with it.
Aaw he's a cutie!
Mm that's what I'm dreading with Andy - he basically told me he's a small (he's so unsubtle at dropping hints) because he's really thin, but he's TALL, so I'm sure a medium top would do better...but I'll do a small cause he said so
The reason you can't get it to it Rachie is because it's GONE! We obviously bombarded them with enough complaints.
I told my friend off in haiku for joining the group as well =P
PS. Why shouldn't guys report stuff like that? That's why I put "feminists" in the title, not "women". Men care about gender issues too, thank god, otherwise nothing would change!
Yes Kyosti, as I said a few times in this thread, I know it's a joke. That doesn't mean it's okay though. I know people who have joined that group because they actually think like that. Needless to say they're not people I like.
And yeah Courtney, I hate that one too. Like seriously, stop trying to push equal rights back fifty years. It's perfectly acceptable to text a guy you like! You know what also, men don't ALWAYS have to hold open doors for women, or ALWAYS buy them stuff. My friends think it's strange that if me and the boyfriend go out we split the bill - they keep going "He's the man, he should pay!" but no way, he's just as poor as me, he shouldn't have to pay because he has a penis.
I'm all excited! I'm doing a creative piece of work for English, writing haikus from the point of view of the mother in Metamorphosis. I LOVE haikus. And for media I'm going to write an essay on images in advertising, which I'm also excited about =) I like doing fun work.
My friend is on the Mookychick forums as well getting people to complain =)
Exactly. If it's just harmless piss-taking it's fine, but that isn't