Some of you have expressed genuine concern about my safety due to my cracks about my coworker. Worry not. She only snarls; she poses no real threat.
On the other hand, some situations can be threatening. I read "The Gift of Fear" when it came out in 1997. I have reread portions of it many times. It is geared toward women but I know many men who have also found it helpful. This is from the flap:
True fear is a gift because it is a survival signal that sounds only in the presence of danger, yet unwarranted fear has assumed a power over us that it holds over no other creature on earth.True fear is primal. It is the voice in our head that says, "No!" Many people, especially women, ignore it for fear of offending someone. It's a good way to wind up dead.
I do trust my instincts now. (I will be the first to admit that I've done some pretty dumb things in my youth that could have gone way wrong!) I am also super cautious. I rarely go out alone after dark. Whenever possible, I take my dog along in the car. If I am out and about alone, I let someone know where I will be and I keep my cell phone on my person. I do not hesitate to ask someone I know to escort me to my car.
No one is ever completely safe and I refuse to live in a bubble. But when those little hairs on the back of my neck go up, I pay attention.
This quote was written before the digital age but it still fits:
"If you want to be safe on the streets at night, carry a projector and slides of your last vacation."
Helen Mundis
