Me Too | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Me Too

Just Another One

136
Me Too
Lauren Mitchell

It was hard to watch, like everyone should find it hard to watch, as you scroll through your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and there they all are: Me Too. Friend after friend posted Me Too. Some shared stories and some didn’t, and it’s everyone’s own right whether or not they want to share stories about sexual assault and harassment. I am say, but never really post, Me Too.

To be honest, I did not post it, because I am one of the million women and men who will not post Me Too. For me, it is vulnerability. I do not like to show that something bad has happened to me, and really, while it stung at the time, thankfully, I wasn’t an one that was sexually assaulted. I was sexually harassed. We shouldn’t compare our scars to others, but to me, what I experienced was nothing compared to sexual assault.

I don’t owe you my story about sexual harassment. The fact that I write this now is to say that no one owes you a story. For some who speak it, it is their business. The people who do not speak it does not make us any less. What we experienced does not make us any less. No one owes you a story or explanation.

I know that if I went “Me Too” on my account, there would be people asking, “You?”

Well, yes, actually, sexual harassment and violence comes no matter shape, size, gender, race, religion and everything else. No one is immune of it, but for some reason, people think that they can get away with it.

At the same time, I wouldn’t want my father to see it. I can speak to him about pretty much anything, and this is the hesitation. He wouldn’t say that I was asking for it or that the boy-- in my case-- was just trying to pay me a compliment, and he wouldn’t be too angry. I’m not sure how he would react, but I think I wouldn’t want to say it to him.

As for him “paying me a compliment,” that’s not how it works. There is a difference between flirting and sexual harassment. If you don’t have an understanding of the difference, I wouldn’t suggest “flirting” with any girl any time soon.

As for him “paying me a compliment” in that way, maybe when I was sixteen with low confidence did I think “Yes, thank you.” However, now as a woman with respect, no. When I was sixteen, I was happy to have anyone look at me; now, no. But this didn’t happen to me when I was sixteen. This happened to me when I was eighteen, nineteen and twenty. At no point through being sexually harassed did I ask what these males thought of me, but rather, they just had to say it.

This is my non-story to you as I say “Me too,” and my stories are none of your business, like the thousands of women and men who do not post their stories. It took me even a while to write this, and now I am done with it. Now, you can see how often it is and just another person it happens to. It is another person, and we never realized there were so many.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

187199
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

12966
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

456431
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25724
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments