There’s been a meme going around about a question asked of women: would you rather be stuck in the middle of the woods with a strange man or a bear. Women by and large, apparently, pick the bear. Men, according to this meme, when asked if they’d rather be stuck in the woods with a strange woman or a bear overwhelmingly pick the woman.
I’ve seen women online say they’re scared to be alone on an elevator with a strange man, so of course they’d be scared to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with one.
I don’t live with that much fear of men, for which I am grateful, but I would still pick the bear in the woods. Bears are predictable. They’re scared off by loud noises. They’re not particularly interested in attacking me, and will only do so if they feel threatened or I’ve gotten too close to their cubs.
Bears won’t kidnap me or rape me or torture me for fun.
Most men won’t either. The strange man in the woods might be really helpful. He might have knowledge of berries we could eat or a pocket full of matches.
In a theoretical situation, though, the strange man contains too many variables. It’s much harder to repel an angry man than a bear.
Right now, I’m kind of living out that theoretical situation. I’m staying alone for a week in a cabin in the mountains. I have been given instructions about what to if I see a bear when I’m out walking. I have a bell to carry and shake to discourage them from approaching.
The house has an alarm system, but not for bears. It’s to guard against strange men showing up. That didn’t need to be spelled out. My friend just told me to set it if I felt anxious at night. I knew what she was talking about.
Even now, as I’m writing this, I worry that someone might be able to figure where I am from this post. Then I make myself stop thinking about it too much. I can’t choose fear.
I’m here to write, not worry.