Story of my life. White men used to be the only men who would literally touch me, and they always seemed very comfortable with it like there was no hesitation that they shouldn't do that. It was sometimes little things like them holding my hand by the wrist to examine little drawings I'd done with pens at school or bigger like one man who literally grabbed by hips to move me out of his way. I grew up in a white neighborhood and that stuff always felt weird, but I didn't talk about it. I was a teenager. Now, I'm in my later 20s and it seems that sort of ease is kind of coming back. I assume Obamas presidency and the increase in racial tensions made more men back off and also harbor a strange bitterness/hate of black women. I feel like Obama leaving and racial tensions sort of going back to "blacks have little power" just makes more men comfortable in that strange way. Being a black woman is bizarre because we are seen as tough to some or women in a very vulnerable position to a few others. I feel like inner city, stereotypical black women are seen as the scary, tough ones, while other types are lumped together as ... gosh I can't even explain it, but it makes so much sense in my mind. Curiosities? I think that matches. It's like being some man's curiosity.

But whatever it is, I'd say just be nice to people and do what makes you feel most comfortable with them. But I have to ask, How do they stare?? Do they smile or anything? I used to get stared at by some men with a look that I couldn't differentiate between hate and lust and they'd stare with eyes GLUED to me in the most uncomfortable ways. That was most common strangely when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, of all places...