Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: DEFENSE (06/02/22)
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TITLE: S-I-N-G | Previous Challenge Entry
By Corinne Smelker
06/09/22 -
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I made my way down to the podium. My laptop was plugged in, ready to go. I looked up into the auditorium to see about 100 students.
“Good morning,” I squeaked. The class tittered. I cleared my throat and tried again. This time I sounded strong. I clicked my remote and an image projected to the screen behind me. There was an audible gasp.
“That is me,” I said. That drew startled murmurs from my classmates. “You probably don’t recognize me what with the tubes everywhere and the bandages over my head, arms and legs, but it is me. And I consider myself lucky because I’m standing here today, talking to you.
“Three years ago I went on a blind date with a friend of a friend of a friend. I made all the right choices that women are warned to take – we met in a public place, an art gallery actually. I drove myself. I even shared my location with my best friend. So, how did I land up in the hospital with a gazillion tubes coming out of my body?”
I paused, for effect, but also to collect my thoughts. “The night started out well, we walked around the gallery grabbing some nibbles and a couple of glasses of wine, and talked. About art, movies, music, you know, first date things. We seemed to hit it off. I did notice he seemed to be reaching for the wine a little more than me, but since I was driving myself I was not too worried.
“After about two hours he suggested we go to a nearby restaurant, and he offered to drive. I told him no. I had two reasons for that – I was not about to get in the car of someone I’d only known for two hours, and secondly, he was definitely tipsy, if not drunk.”
The audience was absolutely silent, and all eyes were on me.
“It’s a tale as old as time, as Mrs. Potts sings in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. As we approached my car, he took my arm. I shook him off. Oh, he didn’t like that. He grabbed for me again, this time grasping onto my purse strap and whirling me about, and tried to kiss me. I struggled – hard – but he was so much bigger than me. I fought back as hard as I could, yelling and screaming, but we were in the middle of the car park, with no one around.”
I could sense the audience’s unease as I shared. I sneaked a look up and saw several women nodding their heads, and some men shaking theirs in disbelief.
“He smacked me across the face, and I flew backwards, hitting my head against a car bumper. Next thing I knew he pulled out a knife.”
Once more there was an audible gasp from the audience. “I was on my back, pretty much defenseless, but something in me just snapped. A movie memory flashed a fin. S-I-N-G!”
I heard a little chuckle from the crowd. “He’d already sliced my arms, and was in a frenzy. I slugged him hard on his nose. It crunched and immediately started bleeding, but that didn’t deter him. I was slippery with our blood, and desperate. I pulled both my legs up and kicked above me with all my might. Let’s just say his family jewels might never work again.”
Again there was a little chuckle from the crowd. “He mewled in pain, and curled up in a little ball next to me, releasing the knife. I was incapacitated but had the presence of mind to grab the knife.
“My family helped me piece things together later. Apparently, a couple were walking to their car and saw the tail-end of the struggle, called the police and administered first aid. I was in a coma for a week, and have had plastic surgery on my arms and legs.
“But I am alive. Thanks to a comedic movie with a message about self-defense, I am alive.
“Let me conclude with this quote from Margaret Atwood ‘Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.’ I experienced that three years ago. Let’s all do better.”
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Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality showed a self-defense method –
S- Solar plexus
I- Instep
N- Nose
G- Groin
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