Hi Everyone !!
I've had several experiences about which I want to open a discussion.
As you may know, I'm a novice but I try to do my best and have fun.
I don't want to be an "angry woman," I just want civility. Common courtesy such as one male player would show to another. The majority of the time, I receive the courtesy or simply get ignored. Those, I can handle. Without getting too much into my personal backstory, I'm used to a certain amount of one or the other.
Today, I was playing a round at my home course on a really beautiful day (albeit a breezy one).
Of course the park was crowded with groups and families. (72 degrees and Sunny? Yes, please!)
As the only one playing a solo round with three discs and a towel, plenty let me play through or I dodged them, going to vacant holes and getting my bogeys and shuffling along, loving my time outdoors and laughing off my bad shots.
One of the fairways is perpendicular to the basket of one hole and the tee of another. I threw my first disc, hit a tree, took my second shot, hit a tree, tried again, hit a tree (what do you expect?).
I was barely even cognizant of the group near my fairway, other than to make sure I didn't hit any of them (yeah, like I can throw that far or that hard!) but still, courtesy is courtesy in a public park.
One of the adjacent party had been observing my unlucky lies and called out something to me about the trees and called me "sweetheart" and assured me I was "still a winner."
I froze and looked at him as he had pulled me completely out of my DG headspace...so he calls it all out to me AGAIN as if I'm deaf and not just SUPER annoyed. I have no idea how to handle the situation. I'm a "live and let live" (frolf and let frolf?) person that rather enjoys being ignored and left alone. We've all been interrupted in a round. You know how it goes.
Humiliated, I holed out as fast as I could and went on to the next tee but I was bleeding silent rage. I thought I might try to finish the round, but that just didn't happen. I peaced out and left so I could clear my mind and try to recover from a wholly unexpected interruption/affront.
A few weeks ago on another occasion, I was registering at the table at a disc event and one of the guys at the table muttered "sexy" but I heard him. Whether it was at me or just for whatever reason, that guy couldn't STFU, I felt like my entry fee was wasted because of what he said. And my performance was garbage that night, even though 99% of the other guys were respectful or ignored me. I want to attend again, but I feel like I would be "making waves" or disturbing the natural order should I return unaccompanied.
I'm equal to the other people. I'm not shopping for a boyfriend. I'm out playing disc to have fun and improve. To be outside, maybe even make a friend here or there. Basically the same reason as everyone else.
Why should my chromosomes have to make me some sort of target, mascot, or toy?
It's not right. For all the talk of "growing the sport" - being rude to women at events and on the course in not the way to do it.
If this is what is going to keep happening, then I am going to throw all my damn discs in the garbage. I don't deserve to be treated this way. No woman does.
Discussion Open !
I've had several experiences about which I want to open a discussion.
As you may know, I'm a novice but I try to do my best and have fun.
I don't want to be an "angry woman," I just want civility. Common courtesy such as one male player would show to another. The majority of the time, I receive the courtesy or simply get ignored. Those, I can handle. Without getting too much into my personal backstory, I'm used to a certain amount of one or the other.
Today, I was playing a round at my home course on a really beautiful day (albeit a breezy one).
Of course the park was crowded with groups and families. (72 degrees and Sunny? Yes, please!)
As the only one playing a solo round with three discs and a towel, plenty let me play through or I dodged them, going to vacant holes and getting my bogeys and shuffling along, loving my time outdoors and laughing off my bad shots.
One of the fairways is perpendicular to the basket of one hole and the tee of another. I threw my first disc, hit a tree, took my second shot, hit a tree, tried again, hit a tree (what do you expect?).
I was barely even cognizant of the group near my fairway, other than to make sure I didn't hit any of them (yeah, like I can throw that far or that hard!) but still, courtesy is courtesy in a public park.
One of the adjacent party had been observing my unlucky lies and called out something to me about the trees and called me "sweetheart" and assured me I was "still a winner."
I froze and looked at him as he had pulled me completely out of my DG headspace...so he calls it all out to me AGAIN as if I'm deaf and not just SUPER annoyed. I have no idea how to handle the situation. I'm a "live and let live" (frolf and let frolf?) person that rather enjoys being ignored and left alone. We've all been interrupted in a round. You know how it goes.
Humiliated, I holed out as fast as I could and went on to the next tee but I was bleeding silent rage. I thought I might try to finish the round, but that just didn't happen. I peaced out and left so I could clear my mind and try to recover from a wholly unexpected interruption/affront.
A few weeks ago on another occasion, I was registering at the table at a disc event and one of the guys at the table muttered "sexy" but I heard him. Whether it was at me or just for whatever reason, that guy couldn't STFU, I felt like my entry fee was wasted because of what he said. And my performance was garbage that night, even though 99% of the other guys were respectful or ignored me. I want to attend again, but I feel like I would be "making waves" or disturbing the natural order should I return unaccompanied.
I'm equal to the other people. I'm not shopping for a boyfriend. I'm out playing disc to have fun and improve. To be outside, maybe even make a friend here or there. Basically the same reason as everyone else.
Why should my chromosomes have to make me some sort of target, mascot, or toy?
It's not right. For all the talk of "growing the sport" - being rude to women at events and on the course in not the way to do it.
If this is what is going to keep happening, then I am going to throw all my damn discs in the garbage. I don't deserve to be treated this way. No woman does.
Discussion Open !