Rude - Don't Stare Unless You're Ryan Gosling.

First, my hair is so big today, I had to wear a dress that makes me appear to have been at a beach and it's this way because of sand and salt water.  What happened?

Second, last night I dreamt I was married to Ryan Gosling.
I want to apologize to Joseph Gordon-Levitt for this dream, but seriously you've been so busy with your hitRECord TV show that there's just not enough time.  But you know I prefer dark-haired guys, so don't worry.
Anyway, I was married to Ryan Gosling and we lived in a studio apartment.  Seriously, Ryan?  A studio apartment?  I was trying to convince him to go back to work (if you don't know, Ryan Gosling is on hiatus from acting which means he's about to go crazy and check into rehab to avoid jail time).  He also had a beard like he had in The Notebook.

He was in a dark place.

If I could put The Notebook on my list of words that make me cringe, I would.  I hate that movie. But this is great.

Anyway, I should have left him right then and there because I deserve better than that and that beard.

I Digress.

I was prepared to write a blog about all the things people do in public that I deem unacceptable.  I'm going to hold off on all of that until after my sleepover with Dorothy & Meredith in a couple of weeks.  One, because I know they will have a lot to say.  Two, I'm afraid if I wrote it before I consider their input, they would beat me up.

I am, however, going to touch on one thing.  I know I probably do things in public that make people say "Oh my gah, look at that ginger lady..." But I'm always conscious of my surroundings.  There is one thing I don't do in public and that's stare.

I don't stare at people's faces, or shoes, or cars, or anything.  I think staring is extremely rude.  Why are you staring?  Is it a positive stare?  Is it a negative stare?  I can't read your eyes.  What is your purpose?  I'm undeniably beautiful?  Thank you.

It's OK to glance at people.  There's no problem with a glance.  Once you start staring, we have a problem.  I'm writing this because of something that happened yesterday evening.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday I get home from work, change clothes, and I run down to the park.  I see the same people there every time.  It's like we're a little community of runners who don't know each other but we're mentally saying "You're awesome!  Keep going!  This heat won't kill you!"

When I run, I wear your typical "it's hotter than hell, get over yourself Texas" clothes - training shorts, sleeveless shirt, sunglasses.  I am confident enough in myself that I wear those shorts.  It took me a while to get there.  After yesterday, I'm rethinking it.

While I was running yesterday, I came up on three men.  They all looked to be about 50 years old, had floppy hair, and they were running about 50 feet apart.  None of them were wearing sunglasses. How do people do that?  I'm squinting right now and I'm indoors.  I highly doubt they were there together.  This is all coincidence.  Like the three bears, and I their Goldilocks, it went a little something like this:

The first bear, err...floppy-haired-man, runs toward me, glances at me, and gives me the courtesy nod.  The courtesy nod is just a, "Hey there fellow runner.  I have acknowleded you."  Then we run past each other and it was over.

The second floppy-haired-man runs toward me making full eye contact with me.  Though I have sunglasses on, he's still doing this.  He stares at me until we're too close and he would probably have to turn his head.  Then we run past each other and it was over.

The third floppy-haired-man - let me paint a picture for you.  He obviously had floppy hair, he was short, pear-shaped, and had a mustache.  I know and believe that when God created him, He said "...and it was good."  But God did not say that when this bear took a gander at me.

This man running toward me looked at my face, blinked, and then his eyes were staring at my shorts-region.  He kept his eyes there for as long as he could.  He even physically looked down when we got close enough that he couldn't keep his head straight.  Are you kidding me?  Did you see me from a distance and think, "Huh, lady.  Huh, lady parts!?"

Do you not know how sunglasses work?  Me wearing sunglasses doesn't mean I can't see where you're looking.  That's not how this works.  You can't see me seeing you staring at my crotch.  Are you kidding me?  Now I'm self-conscious, but running attire is too expensive.  I am not changing my wardrobe.

When a guy stares at my chest, I could not care less because it takes him all but .1 seconds to realize he's not staring at anything but a flat surface.  But when your eyes are directed at my crotch (which is another word that gets me; I'm going to throw up later), I am made uncomfortable.  Do not do that, you guys.  No woman should be OK with that.  Avert your eyes and your thoughts!

I felt violated, then we past each other and it was over.

Don't stare.  If I see him again and he stares at me, I'm pushing him off the trail.  I know that's not the Christian thing to do, but I'm doing it.

"Hey Girl, I understand it's hot outside.  Wear what you've got to wear.  I won't objectify you."