“Women don’t bite!”

—Yesterday (March 1st, 2021) Yrs Trly had an appointment at Thompson Hospital’s Physical-Therapy department.
Physical therapy supposedly makes me better at countering declining balance.
Instead of my assigned therapist, I was turned over to her shadow, a young college girl.
“I been warned,” shadow said. My therapy was entirely programmed by her.
I noticed I kept looking askance — no eye-contact. I had to keep reminding myself to look into her eyes.
“Look right at her,” the little voice kept saying. “Don’t be scared; you can do it!
Finally I said to her: “I’m sorry, but I’m not used to dealing with women. I really enjoy your being my coach, but I’ve always been terrified of women.”
It’s my childhood of course.
“No pretty lady will look at you, Bobby! You are despicable!”
We talked about it. “Long sorry story,” I told her. “You don’t wanna hear it.”
“Well we women don’t bite,” the girl said.
Those are the same exact words as one of my aquacise instructor’s clients.
I struck up a conversation with her a couple weeks ago, and “YIPPEE! He’s talking to me!”
That client and I go back a long way. Previously I avoided her.
Any contact by me with the opposite sex was automatically EVIL and disgusting.
That client was thrilled, but my perception was that I was FLIRTING! EVIL!
“No female will have anything to do with you. You are SCUM!”
I been told just talking to a woman isn’t flirting.
I also been told my eye-contact is much better, but I couldn’t look at shadow-girl without continually reminding myself to do it.
It’s the ghosts of my Bible-beating parents and hyper-religious Sunday-School superintendent neighbor.