08/05/2026
This is going to be a bit of long post out of (my) Long Love, I suppose. 🥰🥰🥰
Take your precious time to read it and feel free to share along with anyone you believe would benefit from it, especially, with women.
A few days ago, I felt a bit unsettled and perturbed by something I read on Instagram, which was about these disgusting perpetrators who target innocent and unsuspecting women at discount stores like the Dollar Tree Store to engage in self-pleasure in public and record this to post on the internet.
I believe this despicable act is called “Goonering” or something to that effect.
The perpetrators seek out isolated aisles and areas to engage in this repulsive act where there are limited security cameras and lack ample staffing.
Women who have been victims of this heinous behavior and shared their experiences have been beyond brave and courageous, which I cannot even fathom, both the trauma and the telling must have been like.
Suffice to say, I find myself having to navigate my own shopping journey and lovingly advocating other women in my life, especially, to make these temporary changes until something solid and legally accountable is done about the whole situation that has, understandably, shaken many women to the core.
This whole thing should not be happening, period: By terrorizing and shocking women for these men’s selfish pleasure is just, what can one say—
Yuck!!!
Before I share some women’s safety tips, I do want to make it crystal clear that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, inherently wrong with self-pleasure:
It is rather very beautiful and natural and normal. I have always seen it as a form of a sweet meditation and a prayer of exploring one’s holy body that is a sacred temple of our souls. 🙏🙏🙏
However, self-pleasure is a sensual experience that should be done in complete privacy behind closed doors, be that solo or with a consented, this bears repeating, consented partner or lover.
Agency and consent and privacy, even sacredness (I feel) are an integral part of the journey of self-pleasuring or lo******ng.
Period.
Now, without further ado, these are some women’s safety tips I intend to practice for myself and share with other women:
1. As much as feasible, order your grocery and personal items online. I realize that online shopping costs more money when we consider the added cost of service fees, delivery fees and tips.
However, the way I see it, it is a wise investment towards our safety as women.
2. If you absolutely must go grocery or discount stores shopping, try your level best to go with a trusted male companion such as your husband, boyfriend, partner, lover, friend, brother, male colleague, especially, if it is later in the evening or at night.
Or better yet, have the trusted men in your lives go shopping for you and you just give them the list of things needed.
3. If this proves challenging for whatever reason, and if you must go on your own for groceries or any other kind of shopping, go during the afternoon or early evening (after people get out of work) so you can take full advantage of the safety-by-numbers concept.
An introverted artist like me, usually, dislikes crowds, and much prefers when groceries stores or any stores have less people.
However, for now, considering the circumstances as described above, I have to let that go in order to keep myself safe.
So, I find myself going grocery shopping (mostly at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods) where I know there is ample good staff and more people during early evening hours (on weekdays), but earlier in the afternoon on weekends.
Also, many such stores are happy to provide staff to es**rt you to your car and help you put your things safely in your car.
4. When you are in the stores, keep your head up, rather than be distracted on the phone—Perpetrators try to take advantage of those women who be distracted.
Going back to good old-fashioned list-writing might be a great idea, as that way you can keep your phone away from you and be focused and present in your surroundings.
5. If you feel uncomfortable for whatever reason and find suspicious behavior, trust your instincts, immediately go to the manager of the store, as many are being made aware of this “goonering” situation.
6. Make sure to park in well-lit areas and as much as feasible, as close to the grocery or retail or discount store.
7. As soon as possible, take a good self-defense class, several classes, actually, where you can learn good self-defense techniques, which is a very smart and wise investment for our safety.
Every girl and every woman should know how to defend and protect herself. I cannot emphasize this more.
8. Above all else, trust your intuition and gut and instincts—If something feels off, your body will tell you the truth, it always faithfully does.
You just have to trust it and listen to it.
Protect your daughters. Protect yourselves as girls and women and Goddesses.
Again, feel free to share this along to the women you love or anyone for whom you deeply care.
I pray with every fiber of my being that may Deviyaan Durga-Shakti-Kali Maa (Hindu Goddesses of Protection, Strength and Compassion) protect all women in every corner of the world 24/7/365 day and night.
🙏🙏🙏🕉🕉🕉💚💚💚❤️❤️❤️
With love and compassion and solidarity…
Namaste—🙏🙏🙏
🙏🙏🙏💃💃💃🕉🕉🕉⭐️⭐️⭐️🌈🌈🌈🦄🦄🦄🌹🌹🌹🥰🥰🥰🪷🪷🪷🌅🌅🌅💖💖💖💛💛💛💚💚💚❤️❤️❤️
