I wanted to share my appreciation for women who are generally amazing and also protect other women. Regardless of gender, we can all learn to better support all who identify as female.
Tina Price is the repair person for my cigarette making machine. In spite of being in the cigarette industry she has managed to be tobacco free for three years. That's strong will power! Tina is 5'2" with a smoker's voice. She has so many cool interests: crystals, mounted archery, and belly dance to name a few. My favorite Tina moment is this:
I needed a new cigarette machine. Tina had fixed it many times and we weren't making enough progress to get you your cigarettes. She knew a man who wanted to sell a used machine that she had been keeping in good condition. The meeting was in the evening a few hours from my home, in an area I was unfamiliar with. She offered to meet me there and check that everything was in working order. I was happy to have an ally with me.
By the time we all met up, it was totally dark out. We were at the seller's home. It took quite a while to test the machine and load it into my Uhaul. Every so often Tina would wave her flashlight away from her body and I would hear loud cracking/popping noises. It turned out that it was her flashlight taser. This made the guys a little nervous but friendly. In retrospect, I realized that Tina was really looking out for us! I am pretty sure those guys were familiar with the sound of a taser. It felt really good to be protected in a situation where two smaller, less strong people were in a relatively isolated location with two unfamiliar men in the dark.
Have you ever felt protected by a friend or family member? This was a new one for me. Thanks Tina for showing me how I can protect myself and friends. You too can wield a taser/flashlight from Damsels in Defense. You can get a taser cheaper elsewhere but, this company has higher quality products and supports getting women out of sex trafficking in other countries.
Lily