anonymous New Yorker, she/her
- theodora siegel
- Sep 28, 2023
- 1 min read
“I'm a survivor of sexual assault. One of my PTSD developments ended up being incontinence. I've had countless incidents where I've had no choice but to pee in the street. Once a woman yelled and called me disgusting, but if I hadn't peed on the street between cars, I would've had piss pants and nothing to change into an hour away from home. I was even hospitalized once when I was homeless in part because the nurses in the ER smelled my pee clothes and decided I was indeed mentally unstable even though I was coherent...most people don't have any empathy for a 20-something year old desperately needing to pee. I have had several occasions where I've asked and been turned away or told I need to purchase something even while panicking, but people don't take me seriously because they can't even imagine what it's like to be constantly on the edge of walking around covered in pee."
This one felt so real — the way she captures that mix of anonymity, noise, and quiet loneliness in New York hit me hard. I love how the “she/her” detail becomes part of the city story too, like identity still matters even when you’re trying to disappear into the crowd. It also made me think about how much environment affects mood: a tiny apartment that’s humid and stuffy can amplify everything you’re feeling. I started paying attention to settings like dry mode in ac to reduce humidity and make a space feel lighter without freezing it. Sensibo’s explanation of dehumidification is genuinely helpful for city living.