When I was a senior in high school I had a really nice girlfriend. She was witty, fun and spontaneous. I enjoyed spending time with her. Her best friend at the time was somewhat of a flirt. On occasion the best friend would flirt with me right in front of my girlfriend. Sometimes I even flirted back. My girlfriend never said a word.
Years later, I had a girlfriend who reacted much differently to a similar situation. She told me she didn’t like it. She privately addressed the other person as well. I respected that. I thought I deserved to be called out.
It was good to see that the latter girlfriend thought she deserved to be treated better and I’m glad that she let me know her feelings. I respected that and I respected her.
I know that my behavior is up to me and I shouldn’t have to depend on others to call me on my inappropriate behavior but when they do, it leads me to respect them more. I don’t mind being held accountable to those closest to me.
I hope we’ll all speak up for ourselves.