Context of this meme: Earlier this year, I went to see a movie. When my dad picked me up, I tried to tell him all about it. Then he gave me the silent treatment. He said that he was doing it because I yelled at someone earlier that day after they violated my boundaries. He said that if he talked with me about the movie, it would "enable" what I did and "teach me that this behavior is okay"

I was thinking about how when I was a teenager it seemed like I would get so many prolonged stares or suggestive comments from older men. It hit me that I hadn’t been experiencing that as much…….but then it occurred to me why. When those men looked at me they didn’t see an awkward child learning to navigate the world, they saw an easy target. Now that I’ve grown up some and have learned how to carry myself with a “don’t fuck with me” attitude in public (keys in hand, hard RBF, adopting a masculine tone when talking to men) they no longer see me as easy prey.