Let’s reclaim our natural areas, both the lake and the rivers

By Colleen Kendrick
Posted Monday, September 24, 2007

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Pittsboro, NC - A few years ago, my husband and i were taking our dogs for a walk on the Haw River Canoe trail on 64. I noticed a man waiting in his truck when we arrived. When we returned to the lot, this same man abruptly disengaged contact with another man in the thin stand of trees river’s edge in front of the lot. The two separated and the man who we had first seen when we arrived attempted to play off the awkwardness by engaging us in conversation, while the other man walked behind us to get to his truck.

I felt very alarmed during this interaction for many reasons.

No matter what one’s orientation, it is not legal, nor is it safe to engage in sexual practices is public places. I was afraid for my safety, and the safety of my family. What if i had gone down there alone?

Many men engage in sexual compulsive behavior. Look at our senator from Idaho. Men who are not gay, but sexually compulsive often cruise public areas to find someone to relieve them. Some are gay, some aren’t, the point is of minor consequence when one wants to enjoy nature and feel safe.

I am writing about this, politics and religion aside, to put my 2 cents in as a Chatham citizen that i want to be free to use my state parks without fear of running into this kind of behavior. This incident happened about 2 years ago. I didn’t write about it then because i was so shaken up that i don’t know whether i could have written about it and handled the social flack from both extremes on the chatlist. I now feel like it is our duty as citizens to reclaim our natural areas, both the lake and the rivers. Let the compulsives go elsewhere.