on the ferry

post by leslie

One of our favorite things about the Pacific Northwest is the ferry system. Riding ferries is such a treat. You're being forced to slow down, to wait for the schedule, to watch the water go by (or as many locals do, to sleep in your car on the ferry).Ezra was mesmerized that we DROVE OUR CAR onto a boat. I was mesmerized by the seals we saw in the water, the breathtaking views and the magic of slowing down and enjoying the journey. Below are a few more photos from the boat. That's a seal! For your internet share today, I simply give you this.I know the ideas I'm about to express are not new, and I myself have been seeing them online a lot (and said more eloquently), but the idea that the men accused in the #metoo movement are being persecuted and that there is no safe place for them and that they are angry and afraid makes me irate.I have been living in fear of walking to my car alone at night since I was 12 because of what might happen. I have been checking under my car in parking garages for years due to this fear. How many men find their keys before leaving a place after sundown to carry in their hands as a weapon should they be attacked? Because this is normal behavior for women. Because we have been afraid our entire lives.We have been inappropriately fondled at school (for me it happened in 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grade), and kept quiet for fear of what would happen to OUR reputations if we spoke out. I have had to think so quickly on my feet about how to respond to unwanted advances. How do I turn this guy down without angering him? How do I make this casual? How can I escape this situation safely?I have friends who have been drugged in bars to be taking advantage of, I have friends who have been assaulted. This is not uncommon. This is, sadly, normal.My father just called me last month to make sure I'm not meeting strange men in places for photo shoots that might result in danger. That I have a plan. That I know something about them first. How many male photographers worry about their safety before a portrait session?This is how women grow up. This is our reality. So the idea that men are actually afraid right now of being accused of something and they might not get a job they want? Sorry. I am not so sympathetic.