Christina Wyman, a 44-year-old author, says she relishes getting older because it offers freedom from unwanted male attention. While she acknowledges physical drawbacks like hip pain and wrinkles, she values the 'delicious invisibility' that comes with age.
Early Experiences with Harassment
Wyman recalls her first assault at age 15 in Brooklyn, New York, when a man on a bicycle groped her while she was admiring the view. She says she blamed herself for years, wondering if her clothing or actions provoked the attack. The following year, another stranger cornered her and thrust his hips into her while his friends laughed. Even earlier, at around age 10, a man in a van offered her candy, a cliché but terrifying encounter.
Normalized Objectification
Wyman explains that such attention started at home, where family members commented on her body, teaching her that her body was up for criticism. She says parents often dismissed her reports of harassment as her fault. She criticizes society for normalizing such behavior, citing former President Donald Trump as an example. 'It’s 2024 and we’re still considered playthings for men,' she writes.
The Relief of Aging
Now in her 40s, Wyman says she can walk without bracing for comments or physical contact. She calls this 'freedom from unwanted male attention' a relief, but notes it shouldn't require aging. 'We shouldn’t have to wait half of our lives to feel safe in our own skin,' she states. She hopes to use her newfound energy to advocate for change through her children's books, which address bullying, family dysfunction, and gender-based harassment.
A Call for Change
Wyman believes starting conversations with children can help. She teaches that 'no one is entitled to opinions about—or access to—other peoples’ bodies without their consent.' Her middle-grade novel 'Slouch,' about a tall girl navigating self-esteem and boundaries, will be released in October 2024. Her debut 'Jawbreaker,' about a seventh grader with a craniofacial anomaly, was named one of Publishers Weekly’s best books of 2023.
