Anyone else having weird interactions at Smiths?
I’m a 35 year old woman living in Salt Lake, and lately I’ve had some weird experiences specifically at the Smiths. On 3 occasions, men have come up to me while I’m grocery shopping and given me a kind of intense compliment. The first time the guy waited for me outside, told me I was beautiful and asked for my number. The second time, the man paid for his groceries, doubled back and searched the aisles for me and then said “ I couldn’t leave the store without telling you that you are beautiful in so many ways,” but didn’t seem to want to talk much. The third time a man told me he “thought I was really cute” and then basically sprinted out of the store. The men are all in their 40’s.
They seem pretty harmless, but it’s still kind of a weird thing to do. I do notice it makes me extra careful in the parking lot afterward in case they’re lurking. I find it strange, mostly because it hasn’t ever happened to me before the last few months. Its not that I’ve never been hit on in public, but this is the first time at a grocery store, and its just all kind of odd. Like I went through my entire 20s never being hit on while grocery shopping. I’m a pretty average looking person, and I’m usually looking extra average at Smiths. Does this happen to other people?
I have a few theories:
- I have just aged into a demographic of people that try to pick up women at grocery stores? Maybe at 32 I seemed too young to talk to at Smiths, but now that I’m mid 30s I’m fair game?
- There is a divorced men’s group advising trying to talk to women at Smiths
- There is a therapist specializing in social anxiety who is challenging clients to talk to strangers at the Smiths
Looking to hear from anyone who has had this experience or anyone who is part of any organized group? I have total respect for anyone trying to work through anxiety, and I think it’s really brave to approach a stranger in that case, but I would avoid giving comments on women’s appearance in public.