First - great job!

Take some time to recognize that you did well, even without practicing beforehand. You realized something shady was going on and got yourself safely out of there. You took action when you needed it most.

Ok, now to your questions.

You always want to check around you:

1. What are your exits? Can you get to your car?
2. Are there other people around who can help you?
3. Are there any other threats? (Is there another man coming up behind you?)
4. Do you have cell service to call police?

Once you have those questions answered, you can decide what you want to do.

-Sometimes, the answer is to leave immediately.

-Sometimes, you can go hang out with other people at the park and pretend to know them. Just tell them you’re scared of the guy watching you, pretend laugh for a couple minutes with them, and hopefully he leaves. If he doesn’t, then you can still leave, but he “knows” you were just with “friends.” You can even ask them to walk with you to the exit.

-Sometimes, the answer is to call a taxi so the guy can’t see what car you get into, and come back later for your car.

-Sometimes (as long as there are other people in the park), the answer is to confront him (from a distance). “Why do you keep looking at me? It’s weird.” Or, “Stop looking at me.” Or, “Fuck off.”

If you’re a woman, this isn’t the last time you’ll have an encounter with a guy like this.

In the future, recommend going with a friend or a dog if you can. Or, try to meet up with a local yoga group at the park (or start one!).

Final note - you didn’t deserve this. You deserve to be safe doing any activity in any clothing in any area. I’m sorry that wasn’t your experience. Sending you hugs.

Edit: One other option I forgot - Situation permitting, get evidence. Take a picture and/or video as you walk away. Your priority is still your safety, but getting evidence is helpful too so that you can identify the person later on (and also back up your story when it’s questioned because #america).

I still use Fb because of the groups/pages there.

There are mentorship and professional groups there that aren’t available elsewhere.

Plus, the local groups for my town/state provide crucial information about weather, taxes, traffic, river safety, etc. In general, it’s a good source of knowledge.

I hate that I’m giving up privacy, but there are also no other social media networks that can compete. I can’t message/Signal my closest 5,000 neighbors to find out which local/free berry patch is ready for picking. But, there’s a fb group for that.

Do you prefer the shorter day and eating at your desk, or the longer day with the lunch break?

9-5 never made any sense to me.

I thought working 40 hours was the standard, but 9-5 with a paid lunch is less than 40 hours. So, the math never made sense.

The only place I heard of people working 9 to 5 was in Dolly Parton’s song. I’m enjoying reading everyone’s answers though, and I’m hoping someone chimes in that has actually worked a traditional, in office 9-5.

Edit: I meant to say with an unpaid lunch.