The price of fear
This past Friday, a friend posted something remarkable on facebook: I am not going to say that I met Bill Gates, but I'm also not going to say that I didn't. If I did, he was very down to earth and did offer me a ride.
My friend is brilliant with a degree in international business and a desire to save the world. Many of her friends where surprised, even shocked, that she didn't exploit the opportunity to discuss her ambitions with such an important global player.
Her friend1 : Did you take the ride?
My friend : -- it was raining and I was catching a shuttle. It was spur of the moment, so I said I was all set, thanked him. Looking back I definitely should have.
Her friend2: Did you miss that day in school where they said if the richest man in the world wants to take you somewhere you go lol
My friend :I was absent that day;) Now there's like a billion things I would've wanted to ask him, but it's sort of like when you're carrying a ton of heavy things and someone says, "You need help with that?" and you just say "No, I got it. I'm fine" .....kind of like that.
ME : You are a woman of your time. We're all trained to turn down a ride from a man we don't know even if it means hoofing it in our heels in the rain. The 30-second later 'OMG' that was Bill (so not a danger) Gates' is exactly what I would have done.
My Friend: Thank you. Because while not wanting to be awkward and take him out of his way, I did have a "Wow - how did I manage not to get to ask him about every corner of the globe he's been to, the evolution of the internet and Microsoft, all the people he's met, what inspires him, scares him, etc."
So I'm trying to imagine, how would it be not to be afraid of strangers? Particularly men if you're a woman. Not in a, 'I'm the biggest baddest thing in the valley' kind of way. In a 'it's not even an issue' kind of way.
I've invented an entire alternate universe for my novels and I'm having trouble imagining it. I'm going to keep trying.
My friend is brilliant with a degree in international business and a desire to save the world. Many of her friends where surprised, even shocked, that she didn't exploit the opportunity to discuss her ambitions with such an important global player.
Her friend1 : Did you take the ride?
My friend : -- it was raining and I was catching a shuttle. It was spur of the moment, so I said I was all set, thanked him. Looking back I definitely should have.
Her friend2: Did you miss that day in school where they said if the richest man in the world wants to take you somewhere you go lol
My friend :I was absent that day;) Now there's like a billion things I would've wanted to ask him, but it's sort of like when you're carrying a ton of heavy things and someone says, "You need help with that?" and you just say "No, I got it. I'm fine" .....kind of like that.
ME : You are a woman of your time. We're all trained to turn down a ride from a man we don't know even if it means hoofing it in our heels in the rain. The 30-second later 'OMG' that was Bill (so not a danger) Gates' is exactly what I would have done.
My Friend: Thank you. Because while not wanting to be awkward and take him out of his way, I did have a "Wow - how did I manage not to get to ask him about every corner of the globe he's been to, the evolution of the internet and Microsoft, all the people he's met, what inspires him, scares him, etc."
So I'm trying to imagine, how would it be not to be afraid of strangers? Particularly men if you're a woman. Not in a, 'I'm the biggest baddest thing in the valley' kind of way. In a 'it's not even an issue' kind of way.
I've invented an entire alternate universe for my novels and I'm having trouble imagining it. I'm going to keep trying.
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