So here's a fun story for you all.  

(And by fun story I mean long rant.  Brace yourselves.)

On a lovely 80 degree October day (bay area weather is weird like that) I threw on a tank top and shorts for a day dedicated to running errands and doing work at Starbucks.  I thought I'd stop by my church to say hi to my mom (she's the Director of Children's Ministry) and browse the Harvest Craft Faire that was happening in one of the buildings. 

When I was walking over to my mom's office, an old creeper in the church parking lot stopped his car, rolled down his window, and said a creepy hello.  A little weird, but whatever.  I was telling my mom about this as we were walking into the building with the crafts, and she suggested (in bad taste) that I was dressed in a way that might be interpreted inappropriately if I was in, say, San Jose.  People might think I was a hooker.  Right as my mom said that, we walked by an old lady who took it upon herself to chime in "She's right you know.  You're dressed like a hooker."

Hold up.  HOLD UP.  Who the hell says something like that to a stranger in a church of all places?  I was already mad enough at my mom for saying something like that.  (Let me just add that she's a loving lady, but just said a dumb thing. She doesn't normally say dumb things.)  To have this ignorant lady make a rude comment too just lit the spark of anger in me.

I'm actually really proud of myself for how I handled it.  This is more or less how the conversation (and slight yelling on my part) went down:

Old Cranky Lady:  She's right you know.  You're dressed like a hooker.

Me: It is so inappropriate for you to comment on any other woman's appearance.

OCL:  Well it's true.

Me: We're at a church.  You would seriously say something like that at a church?

OCL: Yes.  Would you go into your sanctuary like that?

Me: Yes.  I would.  I also work here, actually.  I would like an apology.

OCL: Well it's the truth.

After that, I figured nothing I could say would make her apologize.  As women are trained to cry when they're mad, I cried in the bathroom for a little bit, then cried in my Pastor's office for a little bit, and then finally calmed down.

Here's what I was wearing:

Thought it would be appropriate to get a picture of me in front of the mold of the original cross from the roof of my church.

There are several things that made me so angry.  

1. A complete stranger made a horribly inappropriate comment on my appearance.  Just a reinforcement that women's bodies are thought to be public property.

2.  A woman said this about me.  Don't even get me started on female competition and judgement.  We're essentially taking power away from other women when we behave like this.

3.  She said this to me at my church.  My gay loving, feminist embracing church.  (Jesus was a socialist, after all.)  My guess is, she isn't a member.  I didn't recognize her, and most people at LAUMC are crazy liberal.  But, you never know.  It was just awful to be attacked in one of the safest places I know.

Anyways, it was just one more thing to make me realize how far women have to go before we fully embrace our power and value our intellect over our bodies.   

Get the hooker look:

Second hand:

pink tank by Moda - $5.99 from Goodwill

shorts by Topshop - a friend's old pair.  got them fo free.

quilted leather purse - $20 from eBay