I am not weak.

I am not a scaredy-cat.

I don’t live my life with fear.

I am not a victim.

But I felt like I was because just the other day I was going for my morning run, just like I do almost every morning and I was followed.

I was followed for over a mile, back to my apartment complex by a man in a car, who if I had to guess was about 5 to 8 years older than me, not that the age or the car matters. This man tried to talk to me. Tried to engage me in conversation with some very weird, uncomfortable questions as he crept along beside me in his car and I responded with one worded, short answers.

I tried to give him as little information as possible, just like my parents taught me; I tried to not make him angry, just in case, just like my parents taught me; I didn’t go into or near my building until he was gone so he wouldn’t know where I lived, just like my parents taught me; I tried to get him to go away, just like my parents taught me.

And I was lucky; no, not because he saw that I was creeped out and maybe a little scared and respected that, and me, enough to apologize and go away. But instead because one of my male co-workers and my friend who lives in the building beside mine was leaving for work as I jogged into the parking lot and as this man crept his car along beside me.

I’m sure my friend thought I was crazy as I continued to give him weird looks and continued to talk to him even after he told me he was late for work. And he didn’t know until later that day what had happened or that me simply talking to him from across the parking lot was what got the creepy car dude to finally go away.

I am not dependent on anyone. I am not a victim. I am not a scaredy-cat. I am not weak. I am not that girl that needs a man. I am not her. I am strong and independent and I love my life that way. I am not a victim.

But that morning, I felt like one. That morning I felt the fear that every girl feels any time she walks home in the dark, goes for a run in the broad daylight, or even just the girl who lives alone. That fear, that constant awareness that every woman has, came to fruition.

I honestly hate even calling it fear. It makes me feel like I am saying women are weak. It makes me feel helpless, like I’m saying we live our lives full of fear when we don’t; but honestly, what other word is there?

It is that awareness; that fear in the bottom of our gut that a man will rarely ever understand. And I’m not saying that to bash men, he could be the best man in the world; he could grow up protecting his sisters, treating his mother like a queen and making his wife the happiest woman on earth. He could be honorable and understanding and yet he still will never understand living in that constant state of worry anytime you’re in alone in a quiet public place, you know, such as a somewhere as common as a street.

I’m honestly not even saying this man in that car had bad ideas or intentions. For all I know he could have just been a man who saw an interesting girl. But it’s that lack of understanding of that feeling we women have that allowed him to let himself follow me home, to creep alongside me in his car.

Maybe from his eyes he was just a guy trying to make conversation and get a girls number, but to me he was a creep that made me feel extremely threatened, and yes, scared. But I am not a victim. I am not that girl. But he made me feel that way.

So to all the good guys out there, who would never even think of having ill intentions, be aware. We understand that you may never feel that worry, but try to be more self-aware of how your presence and how your actions make a woman feel. And if you actually care, don’t treat her that way, don’t make her feel that way. Make her feel respected.

We can’t help that 90 percent of you are bigger and stronger than 90 percent of us and neither can you, that’s just nature, but you can understand and control your actions better.

Don't tell me 'Oh he was paying you a compliment by asking for you number,'. Don't you dare insult me by insinuating that. He followed me home and stole from me my privacy. That man showed me no respect by following me home. Show women the respect they deserve, starting thinking about your actions; because regardless of gender, or of physical prowess, we’re all human and we all deserve respect.

I am not fearful, so please don’t make me feel like I am because you lack respect.