advice from my grandmother

I'm moving to New York a week from this Saturday and had to say my goodbyes to the grandparents tonight. (They're leaving on vacation tomorrow, and won't return until later on the day I leave.) After we hugged and she told me for the fiftieth time to keep in touch and be sure to give her my address (oh don't worry, grandparents, you will get my address; you send checks!) grandma said:


"... and honey, try to find a job where you won't have to be out late at night? You'll be all alone, and you're so small."


Because, you know, the only reason I'll have to be out late at night is if my job requires it. I'm moving to New York because it's more exciting but, of course, I'll be in for the night before dark. Which is like 4:00 in the winter.

And I'm not sure what my being "small" has to do with anything. Also not quite sure where she got the idea that I am small. Small relative to what or whom? If I were a "big girl" would I somehow be safer? If I were a big strong muscley girl, maybe. I'd be able to fight off an attacker more easily. And if I were a big fat chick, maybe, but there are fetishists out there who get off on that sort of thing. There's no telling what she means.

I could have responded, said that really, at any time of night, there will be a number of people on the street. And not baddies either, just people going about their business like myself. And that I will be out late at night anyway - it's called "having a life" and it's why I'm moving.

But I don't try to argue with her when she says weird things like this. She doesn't respond well to reason. She's a Christian and a Republican and homophobic and sometimes just a liiiittle bit racist.


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh old people.