The Phrase “You Should Enjoy It While It Lasts” Needs to Be Eradicated from the Cultural Consciousness

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I was reading this article and was triggered by the phrase within it that I and every woman I know have heard. It’s a phrase that gets thrown out in response to women complaining about being trolled, or catcalled, or subjected to any kind of unwanted male attention. It’s especially pernicious and pervasive to women “of a certain age” — i.e. anyone who isn’t a spring chicken.

If you’re a woman you’ve heard it. Regardless of gender, you’ve probably parroted it without really thinking about what it implies.

Just imagine: you’ve recently received some unwanted male attention. Maybe it’s a backrub by [insert male you know here]. Maybe it’s a stranger who doesn’t understand the word ‘no’.

Who did it is irrelevant. You’re just trying to express your feelings about it to someone who inevitably responds with, “You should enjoy it while it lasts.”

I can’t even count how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of this phrase. Even my own grandmother has said this to me.

I’ve been getting it more and more lately (probably because I’m an unattached 40-year-old woman). If I persist in my complaints and argue that it’s not enjoyable the follow up phrase is, “You’ll miss it when it’s…