#i am already scared just being in this space full of warm noisy bodies woman i do not need hands on me

[dyrewrites]

I gave a man a compliment at the store today and was accosted by a random woman who demanded I explain why.

What was it I said, you ask?

"Your beard is glorious."

She did not know the man, she even waited until he was out of earshot before grabbing my shoulder. She didn't understand how a woman could find a beard attractive...

And chose me to interrogate about it, "I tell my husband all the time that women hate beards, how could you like them? They're so gross and itchy."

"They're soft, I like them on my skin, also they are pretty," was my answer.

It did not end there. She had opinions and she offered them far too close to my face. No matter how gentle her voice was...

She was too. Close. To my face.

I resorted to informing her that I told my husband not to shave his, because he looked weird without it and I loved that fuzz all over me--the mildly dirty direction tends to turn people away.

She conceded that people have different tastes and left me be.

But I didn't know this was a type of person until today.

I'd like to never meet another one.