Get back on the horse!

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Written in 2020 - Finally posting...

Hi there! It's been a while, but milestone thoughts or events are what get posted here... and I've got a few from the last couple months! 

Firstly, before we being the post I must reiterate that as we near Movember it's critically important that we support the people in our lives (whatever gender) through a bit of empathy or just a wee check in as this year has been epic on so many levels.... Are you ok?  just ask it and be there to listen if someone needs it.

Be a mo sis' like me 

Now  I want to start out talking about fear... in particular fears and realities that woman face because I read this article this week:

"Rate of assaults in Wellington 10 times higher than nation's average"

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428871/rate-of-assaults-in-wellington-10-times-higher-than-nation-s-average

While I was running 15km this morning a myriad of thoughts always run through my head... This is the beauty of running... you have the time and space to just think freely and let your synapses fire from thought to thought while navigating roots, hills, and VO2.  While I was running I realised that I am always constantly aware of my surroundings, listening (only one headphone in ever) and thinking and assessing the people I pass to see if they are a potential threat or not.  I always check in on my energy to assess whether or not I would have the energy to fight someone off if attacked.   And I don't run at dusk or at dawn usually because I read a different article when I was a young teenager that said a higher frequency of assaults happen between 5-8am and women with long hair are more of a target than others b/c hair is easy to grab and immobilise someone. 

 I know women close to me and not close to me who have been attacked and assaulted.  You may be thinking I'm paranoid, but this is part of being a female in society and these are some of the things we are considering and are likely to never tell you because it's our norm and would cause us to have to justify or explain this to you as most would be in shock or disbelief or dismissive.... I had a self defence coach (Chris Grumelart in Darwin, NT explain how his mission was to give women the ability to get out of these situations and my father used to take me out to the barn at the back of our house and pretend attacking me and going through situations on how to defend myself and fight back in a way that would allow me to escape someone who was going to be inevitably stronger that I was....  I thank them both as well as countless movies who show how not to become a statistic, how to be aware of your environment and how to listen to a gut feel about a person.




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