Asking for it

There was a howl of protest when a minister proposed banning school-uniform skirts, to “protect” girls from sexual harassment. It sounds regressive, but I agree with him.

One of the things I learnt when I started working was to dress appropriately, and when in doubt err on the side of the conservative. The idea was to “fit in”.

Isn’t this similar? If men equate wearing skirts with “asking for it”, isn’t it better not to wear them? The ultimate solution is a change in mindset, but till that happens, if swapping skirts for pants will keep you safe, why not?

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A Drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Can't we use pencils forever?

“You have to start writing neatly”, I admonished my fourth grader. “Or they wouldn’t let you start using a pen next term.”

“Oh good”, he exclaimed. “I don’t want to write with a pen. What if I make a mistake- how will I rub it out?”

“When you start using a pen”, his younger brother piped up, “you will stop making mistakes. Big people don’t make mistakes, do they?”

Did he realize how profound his statement was? The day you stop admitting to your mistakes, isn’t that the day you stop growing? I wish we could all use pencils forever.