I thought you'd like to know what happened to me (or what ALMOST happened) on Friday night. I can't imagine what might have gone wrong if I hadn't acted the way I did. Consider it my "superhero" act of bravery?..LOL Somehow, though, I feel like I may have made some kind of difference. Makes me feel assured that we reallly do have a place and purpose in this world, whatever or however small the circumstances may be.
The following is like Lois Lane reporting on how Superman acted in a time of crisis. I felt like Clark Kent without being able to change into Superman not wanting to blow his cover because he lack his superhero powers. Nontheless, here's a full recount of the event.
ThanK God Friday!
I was at a Barnes&Noble, minding my business, enjoying my vente macchiatto. I had my iPhone on. Every one else in the store had been doing the same thing, oblivious to their surroundings on what seemed like an innocent Friday night.
That evening started about 800pm for me. I chatted it up with my friend/barista and smiled as I walked back to my table. Distracted from doing productive things, I did a little Twittering and Facebooking, then got down to business w/ some studying. Pretty productive hour by 9pm...Suddenly, this would soon change.
Two men sit by the table adjacent to mine, literally next to me with the exception of the gated division between the cafe and the book store itself. Suspicious behavior ensues:
1). One man picks up a magazine at random so as to "blend in". He is hardly even reading the magazine as a normal person would. By this point, I've turned down my volume to heigten my awareness. My pulse has started to quicken.
2.) Suddenly, his "friend" stands up...without a word exchanged between them, nor any eye contact thus far...Something was definitely not right here...My pulse starts to race.
3.) The man who has stood up walks in the middle of the cafe...and just lingers about standing still?...No words again exchanged to his "friend"...He has stood there for what feels like 10 minutes...By now, if he were a customer, he would've bought something...Blending in was not their forte...
4.) As time stood still by this time, my peripheral vision focused back on the guy who was pretending to read. His body language spoke volumes of something criminal...the nervous looking around, looking behind his back, the look of guilt basically...
5.) My Spidey-sense is now on high alert as I sense both men were somehow communicating non-verbally?...I exchanged my glances between the two, and suddenly the seated man looked like he was fidgeting in his pocket... I'm thinking...OMG! He has a weapon...Well, allegedly in my mind he might have.
All this made me quiver, my heart bursting through my chest. I was at the point I was ready to scream. WHo knew if the guy w/ the alleged weapon was gonna grab me or something to start something...What was stranger was soon, his companion was sitting by himself at his own table... Strange, right?
Not being able to take it anymore, I wrote a note to my friend at the cafe counter with the words:(his name), SOS! Call 911????? on a piece of paper which I placed non-chalantly on a plate I used to return back to my friend.
I basically told him everything above in my quivering sense of blubber I had been reduced to on the inside, but on the outside I had to remain cool, for fear I'd bring attention to myself to the other men. I felt like I was in an Ocean 11 movie. But unfortunately, just like a movie I hadn't seen yet, I wouldn't know how the movie ended...I had to start directing the scene, the hero and innocent bystanders surviving defeating the two men's insidious intentions.
The fact I'm writing you this story means I survived what could've been last night's news, or avoided being just another statistic of a woman who was accosted by two men on her way to her car.
Always trust your instincts. We have supersenses when it counts and don't be ashamed to look stupid in the face of possible danger. Better to be wrong than to end up in real danger when it's too late to respond.
And in this situation, I felt like 1 person vs. 2 potentially dangerous people who could've just as well turned the tables in a negative direction. Granted, it's my flaw that I can have such an overactive imagination and possibilities run wild, but truth of the matter is sometimes it is those people who dare to think beyond what is expected that can make a difference. (Also, watching a lot of movies doesn't hurt either).
Stand up for yourself. Stand up for others when no one can...You might save not only your life... but others as well.
The following is like Lois Lane reporting on how Superman acted in a time of crisis. I felt like Clark Kent without being able to change into Superman not wanting to blow his cover because he lack his superhero powers. Nontheless, here's a full recount of the event.
ThanK God Friday!
I was at a Barnes&Noble, minding my business, enjoying my vente macchiatto. I had my iPhone on. Every one else in the store had been doing the same thing, oblivious to their surroundings on what seemed like an innocent Friday night.
That evening started about 800pm for me. I chatted it up with my friend/barista and smiled as I walked back to my table. Distracted from doing productive things, I did a little Twittering and Facebooking, then got down to business w/ some studying. Pretty productive hour by 9pm...Suddenly, this would soon change.
Two men sit by the table adjacent to mine, literally next to me with the exception of the gated division between the cafe and the book store itself. Suspicious behavior ensues:
1). One man picks up a magazine at random so as to "blend in". He is hardly even reading the magazine as a normal person would. By this point, I've turned down my volume to heigten my awareness. My pulse has started to quicken.
2.) Suddenly, his "friend" stands up...without a word exchanged between them, nor any eye contact thus far...Something was definitely not right here...My pulse starts to race.
3.) The man who has stood up walks in the middle of the cafe...and just lingers about standing still?...No words again exchanged to his "friend"...He has stood there for what feels like 10 minutes...By now, if he were a customer, he would've bought something...Blending in was not their forte...
4.) As time stood still by this time, my peripheral vision focused back on the guy who was pretending to read. His body language spoke volumes of something criminal...the nervous looking around, looking behind his back, the look of guilt basically...
5.) My Spidey-sense is now on high alert as I sense both men were somehow communicating non-verbally?...I exchanged my glances between the two, and suddenly the seated man looked like he was fidgeting in his pocket... I'm thinking...OMG! He has a weapon...Well, allegedly in my mind he might have.
All this made me quiver, my heart bursting through my chest. I was at the point I was ready to scream. WHo knew if the guy w/ the alleged weapon was gonna grab me or something to start something...What was stranger was soon, his companion was sitting by himself at his own table... Strange, right?
Not being able to take it anymore, I wrote a note to my friend at the cafe counter with the words:(his name), SOS! Call 911????? on a piece of paper which I placed non-chalantly on a plate I used to return back to my friend.
I basically told him everything above in my quivering sense of blubber I had been reduced to on the inside, but on the outside I had to remain cool, for fear I'd bring attention to myself to the other men. I felt like I was in an Ocean 11 movie. But unfortunately, just like a movie I hadn't seen yet, I wouldn't know how the movie ended...I had to start directing the scene, the hero and innocent bystanders surviving defeating the two men's insidious intentions.
The fact I'm writing you this story means I survived what could've been last night's news, or avoided being just another statistic of a woman who was accosted by two men on her way to her car.
Always trust your instincts. We have supersenses when it counts and don't be ashamed to look stupid in the face of possible danger. Better to be wrong than to end up in real danger when it's too late to respond.
And in this situation, I felt like 1 person vs. 2 potentially dangerous people who could've just as well turned the tables in a negative direction. Granted, it's my flaw that I can have such an overactive imagination and possibilities run wild, but truth of the matter is sometimes it is those people who dare to think beyond what is expected that can make a difference. (Also, watching a lot of movies doesn't hurt either).
Stand up for yourself. Stand up for others when no one can...You might save not only your life... but others as well.
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