Danger is part of life. In my case, the Wild, Wild West is alive and well. Naomi is still missing, along with several other missing and dead women in my area. For some reason, the news isn’t reporting many of them. Not every victim reaches the status of Gabby Petito or Naomi Irion. Not every case goes viral. Plenty of families in our country wait years for their missing loved one to return. We just don’t hear about them.
Take for instance, a lovely woman named Anna Scott. Found in her burned car, she had been shot in the head. The car was found on a busy freeway. IN PLAIN SITE. The case grows colder every day. Someone knows something somewhere.
The hand signal in the image above was created by a person on Tic Toc to quietly alert someone that something is wrong. If you are out and about and see someone repeatedly making this sign with their hand, you may be the only one around to help. You could easily save a life by alerting the authorities. If you are in an abusive relationship, you can easily flash this to someone on a video chat. It’s brand new. Many people haven’t learned it yet. It saved a girl just recently.
Most importantly, be aware of your surroundings. There is a You Tube site that addresses Active Self Protection (ASP). Here you’ll find many helpful reminders of things we can do to keep safe, even as a Senior Citizen. The first is to avoid dangerous situations all together. Sadly, in this world, that isn’t always possible. Pumping gas comes to mind. Where is your “go-to” gas station. Are the pumps well lit? Is there a convenience store attached? Do people recognize you there? Do you look at others at the pump before you unlock your door? Do you keep your car doors locked while inside?
I used to love getting up early to be at Walmart or Lowe’s by 6 AM. The stores are quiet and clean at that time. For some reason, I thought bad guys like to sleep in. I’ve recently discovered that a high percentage of crimes occur in the early morning hours. Examine your routines and make sure that you are shopping at a time of day in which folks are around to help if something goes wrong. Make sure your routines aren’t predictable.
If you see something that doesn’t look right, turn your car around and leave. Naomi did a strange thing the morning she was kidnapped. Day after day, video surveillance showed her parking in the same spot. The day she was taken, she chose a different spot more in the shadows of the lot. She had promised her mom that she always parked under the light and in view of the cameras. That day, she parked in a different spot. As we are all creatures of habit, why did she do that on that morning? Did she notice the creeper lurking behind the cars? Did her spider sense kick in? We won’t know until she is found and able to tell us.
Being aware of people and your immediate surroundings can make you safer and, perhaps, help someone in trouble. Bad people don’t always look sinister. The person walking behind you may not be a danger, but danger doesn’t always come from behind. Try to avoid being a sitting target. Don’t get in your car and sit in the parking lot while checking messages. Especially at Walmart. Walmart is not the safe place we all wish it was. Walmart attracts a certain element.
As a single senior citizen, DO NOT stop to help a stranded person. Call 911. Stopping to help someone on the road could be the beginning of a carjacking situation. Sadly, it’s not the world in which we grew up. Unless you are packing protection, you can’t be the hero in that situation. Avoid being the victim.
Today, take some time and think of your personal protection plan. In your home, what items do you have that could cause bodily harm to an intruder. Mace is great, but it can also disable you. Wasp spray is a great one. The long stream of chemical is great for an eye shot. A baseball bat. Even a disposable Air Horn. Don’t forget the button on your “Help Me, I Can’t Get Up” pennant. My unit would alarm the angels in heaven as voices blare, “Ambulance on the way! Ambulance on the way!”
Danger-fatigue weighs heavy on all our shoulders. As a widow, traveling solo after decades of marriage increases that. No matter how tough anyone imagines it is, it’s 100 million times more lonely, frustrating, tiring, and terrifying. It’s exhausting trying to fill the void that a missing partner leaves. In my case, the missing partner that always gave 150% to my 75% (although he would tell you the percentages were reversed). Don’t ever tell a widow you know how they feel unless you’ve walked through that wilderness. Trust me, you don’t have a clue.
Stay aware. Stay safe. Be prepared to get away from danger should it come knocking.
In the mean time, please pray for Naomi. We want her home, safe and sound. Her kidnapper will be arraigned today at noon. Pray for his continued confinement and “No Bail”. Let’s all hope today is the day Naomi comes home.
More tomorrow.