Men, We Need You to Do Better

Yes, the 10 questions are coming. But first I want to tell you a story about a friend. She is a community leader, a divorced mother, and a deeply kind, uplifting person. It’s impossible not to feel good in her presence. Recently she was having some work done on her house. We talked by phone not long afterward, and she told me, laughing, about the good-looking men who were doing the work. She was surprised and delighted to find that one of them had left a note behind, apologizing if he seemed unprofessional and offering his phone number in case she’d like to talk. “Call him!” I urged, laughing along with her. The whole situation sounded like the kind of fun she deserved after navigating the separation from her long-time partner. She called him and it only took her a little while to realize that they didn’t have much in common. They had a friendly conversation, and she politely declined getting together for dinner. And this is the point at which the story stops being light-hearted and fun. He kept calling and texting, insisting he take her for dinner. Her polite “no” became more pointed and direct. She stopped responding altogether. Still he persisted. The text messages continued. The next time I heard from her, she was afraid for her safety, especially considering that this man knew where she lived. And, like pretty much all women I know, she had turned to questioning herself. Had she been too flirty? Too nice? Had she taken an unnecessary risk by calling him in the first place? <a href="https://humanparts.medium.com/men-we-need-you-to-do-better-4431f8ee5f19">Visit Now</a>