surrounded

Surrounded last night at our company's first social event. I found myself surrounded by captains in the captains course here and suddenly enveloped in conversations with men above the age of 24. Such a good break from conversations with males who only relate to me through sarcasm and teasing. My platoon is just like having 23 younger brothers. I've been relentlessly teased. I've been told to button my shirt higher. I've been warned I wasn't allowed to cross the street by myself today-- too dangerous.

Surrounded this morning by the sweetest little girls in the art room of the Boys & Girls Club. One of my squad brothers invited them to paint my face. They started out carefully and gently, but soon the more enthusiastic kiddos got me with the big sponge brushes. They wanted me to stay, hugged me, and didn't make fun of me at all. I wanted to stay.

Surrounded by unapologetic males. I told 2 of them tonight they weren't funny with a terrible nagging edge to my voice when they laughed at me for being mad one of them yelled at me for no reason. They made me work at the desk for 2 hours during fireworks.

My very kind friend loaned me a car tomorrow, and it's time to be alone.