This post is a little different. It is not about me, my ADHD, my mental health, or anything else I have discuss. It is about something that women around the world have to deal with on a daily basis.

Today I was walking a familiar trail. It’s well-used, safe on paper, the kind of route where you pass dog walkers, kids on bikes, and people just going about their day. But today, something small happened that left a big mark. For many what happened will not seem like a big deal. But it is difficult to put across the feelings in the moment.

I saw two men with push bikes at a bench. Something about them made me feel uneasy, but I brushed it off. I had my headphones in, so I ignored the situation and kept walking. Then one of the men started waving. At first, I assumed it was meant for someone behind me. It wasn’t. He was waving at me. Staring. Moving towards me. There was something about the look on his face that told me that this was not a person being friendly. He spoke, but I could not hear. I did not wish to hear.

That moment, uncomfortable and awkward, is one that too many women know. I smiled awkwardly to acknowledge him and kept walking quickly. But the thing is, I was walking a timed route, and I had to turn back. Twenty minutes later, I passed them again. They hadn’t moved.

This time, the man winked at me. He had a look on his face, it was like he was proud of himself. Like making me feel uncomfortable was a game he’d won.

And just like that, what started as discomfort turned into fear. I carried on walking, fast, I didn’t look over my shoulder. I just wanted to be away from them. I did however use my phone camera to make sure I wasn’t being followed. I breathed differently. Thought differently. Worried about the schoolchildren walking towards them. My instincts weren’t just about me anymore. I felt lost as to what I could do, they hadn’t done anything wrong, but I knew they were trouble.

Afterwards, the fear faded, but the anger didn’t. I realised this wasn’t new. It’s been twenty years of this. Of random men who think they’re entitled to my attention. Of moments where I’ve been forced to manage someone else’s behaviour, someone else’s ego, to keep myself safe.

It’s the exhausting normality of being a woman.

I don’t talk about this often. As a trauma survivor, these moments carry a weight that isn’t always easy to share in casual conversation. But I’ve spoken to enough women to know I’m not alone. We’re used to it, and that’s exactly the problem.

So I’m sharing this now. Not for drama. Not for sympathy. But because it happens. To me. To so many of us. And it’s not okay.

I want people to hear this and actually see it. I want women to feel seen. I want it to stop being something we’re just expected to live with quietly.

Because a walk should just be a walk.

Love Kx