I need a drink.
I'm a little shaken up right now, but I wanted to write about what just happened to me in case anyone has any similar stories or wants some inspiration to do something similar (how about that obnoxious boob project thing at D*C?).
Okay, here goes.
I was going to the Doctor's office today for a check-up and I stopped over at one of my favorite restaurants to grab something to eat. When I'm about to go in, I hear crying and shouting. I looked around the corner and in the parking lot there was a tiny girl, shorter than even me (I'm about 5'4), who was sobbing as this larger teenager (about 6'3) was screaming at her. No one else was around but the hostess who was holding the door for me just shook her head and told me to come inside. I said I'd be back in a minute.
This boy was shaking her by the shoulders against a wall while the girl was crying and repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I don't know what came over me but I walked over there and threw his hands off of her and stood between them and told him to back off.
He proceeded to tell me "to stay out of it, bitch." I told him that if he was going to throttle this girl in the middle of a parking lot, it was certainly my business to stop. He tried to grab at me and I said, "You take your hands off of me. I'm not leaving you alone with her."
He then had the gall to say that I didn't know the whole story and that she was the one who was violent and he was protecting himself. I said, "Oh right. You're three times her size and you almost attacked me. Get away from us right now."
I walked her into the restaurant and told the owner about what was happening. I went ahead and sat her down and tried to get her to calm down. She kept apologizing and crying and saying how sorry she was. I told her it was allright and she hadn't done anything wrong, how it was toxic to be in a relationship with someone who used violence to get their way. She told me she was afraid to leave the restaurant and I asked her if she'd be comfortable with me calling the police. She said yes.
While we were sitting, that asshole tried to come in. I ignored him and he kept saying crap to her like, "You need to tell her the whole story. I don't want people thinking I hit girls." The bruises on her arm beg to differ. The manager of the restaurant came over and kicked him out. We called the police about assault and I waited with her inside until they came. While we were waiting, I just talked to her and listened to her. I really feel like she blamed herself over the whole thing, which is upsetting. She said thank you for calling the police, that this had happened many times before and she'd never had the courage to call the police before. I gave her my phone number in case she ever wanted to talk.
When she left, I was really shaken up. I hope she got out of that relationship. I'll probably never see her again, but the whole situation just struck me. That guy left a bruise on my arm from where he grabbed me. But you know what? I'm glad I intervened. If that guy was willing to throw her up against a wall and shake her until her head hit the brick, he would've done much worse. The girl herself told me he had done far worse in the past. I realize I could've gotten hurt as well, that he could have attacked me, but I wanted that asshole to know that he can't just throw his girlfriend around. That there are consequences when you mess with someone's basic rights and people will stand up and stop you.
I guess the reason I'm posting this is for some inspiration. If you see something shady happening at D*C, don't just stand by and let it happen. I know we'd all like to think that the person being abused will stand up for themselves, but sometimes they need someone to have their back and intervene.
I can't respond to comments right now. I'm going to get off the Internet for awhile and work on studying.
Okay, here goes.
I was going to the Doctor's office today for a check-up and I stopped over at one of my favorite restaurants to grab something to eat. When I'm about to go in, I hear crying and shouting. I looked around the corner and in the parking lot there was a tiny girl, shorter than even me (I'm about 5'4), who was sobbing as this larger teenager (about 6'3) was screaming at her. No one else was around but the hostess who was holding the door for me just shook her head and told me to come inside. I said I'd be back in a minute.
This boy was shaking her by the shoulders against a wall while the girl was crying and repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I don't know what came over me but I walked over there and threw his hands off of her and stood between them and told him to back off.
He proceeded to tell me "to stay out of it, bitch." I told him that if he was going to throttle this girl in the middle of a parking lot, it was certainly my business to stop. He tried to grab at me and I said, "You take your hands off of me. I'm not leaving you alone with her."
He then had the gall to say that I didn't know the whole story and that she was the one who was violent and he was protecting himself. I said, "Oh right. You're three times her size and you almost attacked me. Get away from us right now."
I walked her into the restaurant and told the owner about what was happening. I went ahead and sat her down and tried to get her to calm down. She kept apologizing and crying and saying how sorry she was. I told her it was allright and she hadn't done anything wrong, how it was toxic to be in a relationship with someone who used violence to get their way. She told me she was afraid to leave the restaurant and I asked her if she'd be comfortable with me calling the police. She said yes.
While we were sitting, that asshole tried to come in. I ignored him and he kept saying crap to her like, "You need to tell her the whole story. I don't want people thinking I hit girls." The bruises on her arm beg to differ. The manager of the restaurant came over and kicked him out. We called the police about assault and I waited with her inside until they came. While we were waiting, I just talked to her and listened to her. I really feel like she blamed herself over the whole thing, which is upsetting. She said thank you for calling the police, that this had happened many times before and she'd never had the courage to call the police before. I gave her my phone number in case she ever wanted to talk.
When she left, I was really shaken up. I hope she got out of that relationship. I'll probably never see her again, but the whole situation just struck me. That guy left a bruise on my arm from where he grabbed me. But you know what? I'm glad I intervened. If that guy was willing to throw her up against a wall and shake her until her head hit the brick, he would've done much worse. The girl herself told me he had done far worse in the past. I realize I could've gotten hurt as well, that he could have attacked me, but I wanted that asshole to know that he can't just throw his girlfriend around. That there are consequences when you mess with someone's basic rights and people will stand up and stop you.
I guess the reason I'm posting this is for some inspiration. If you see something shady happening at D*C, don't just stand by and let it happen. I know we'd all like to think that the person being abused will stand up for themselves, but sometimes they need someone to have their back and intervene.
I can't respond to comments right now. I'm going to get off the Internet for awhile and work on studying.