Caution

I saw a social media post about a jogger who was followed by a man in a car.  I have seen quite a few of these lately, usually in rural Midwest, small county roads - women in cars followed by men in cars.  Supposedly single females being followed by single men in cars with no licence plates.  The men in cars engaging in strange behavior, such as photographing the women, passing them, then slowing down to be passed, then repeating.  This happened to me couple times when I was a young woman.  Maybe I will write about them tomorrow.

I have seen posts in the past about walkers and joggers being followed, over the past few years.  I wish I could point to some national story that might have been the inspiration...There have been some national news stories about this.  A woman in California taken and then later she escaped.  Several stories about joggers back East. 

Then this post I saw last night.  This post was in my old neighborhood of our city house.  This is the 2nd such incident in 2 months in this same 2 block area.  There was a local news story last night about this woman who did the social media post.  She reports that a man in an SUV was parked and when she jogged by, he drove down and cut through at a turn and came up the side she was jogging on.  By then, she joined another jogger and the SUV then left. 

I walk there still while we are in extended stay hotel.  The hotel is on an outer road with no shoulder, so I felt it was too dangerous to walk near the hotel.  So, I have been driving over to my old neighborhood and walking.  Now I am not so sure.  I told DH the other day that I often see cars go by and then go by again, I thought not much about it.  Now I have doubts.  DH says he will walk with me after retirement.  I guess I better have him join me now.  But I cannot find anyone who wants to walk as much or as far as I do.  And I will walk in hot or cold.  Makes me sad.  I really need my walks.  Walking helps me get vitamin D, helps me stay trim and lets me eat what I want, helps me clear my mind, creates neurotransmitters, gives me solitude.  If I keep walking, I will stop listening to my books, which is a big part of what I enjoyed.  Guess I can't have it all. 

When I walked last night, I also saw a vehicle stopped by a road that did not continue (like where you see the signs with red diamonds).  The vehicle was running and there was a man sitting in it.  DH said maybe the man was watching his wife jog - I did see several other women jogging.  If DH won't/can't keep up with me - I guess I will just have to have him go with me and at least sit in his car and watch me.  Crazy isn't it?!

I guess I may try to go to yoga tonight.  It is worth the $15 per time.  If I cannot walk outside, I just don't know what I would do.  I guess in my little small town usa retirement town, I will walk laps around town instead of walking out in the middle of nowhere.  But part of the appeal of where I walked here in the suburbs was seeing nature, birds, critters...etc. 

I wonder if this is some sort of worry phenomenon or if there really is more young women being followed.  This hysteria on the heels of the girl missing and then found dead in Iowa?  What do you guys think?  I do not walk without protection, I will just leave that at that.  But I am still just a middle aged woman, no match for a strong man or men.  It really makes me wonder. 

If Someone Told You to Jump of a Bridge...

My dad instilled in me the instinct to be aware, question what the herd is doing.  I used to hear this quote a lot, especially as a teenager.  "if someone told you to jump of a bridge, would you?".  I ask questions...it might stem from my anxiety/slight OCD, but I think mostly because I grew up on a very busy lake and rode horses all over the countryside at a young age.  On the airplane I watch the safety demonstration, I use safety glasses, I participate in the fire escape exercise, I never ride my motorcycle without a helmet, I always wear my seatbelt in a car.  If I am in a boat (especially enclosed), I am going to wear a lifejacket.  Even if the people around me are not, I would at least have one in my lap.  Now I wonder if the life jackets not only would not help,  they may impede one getting out and under away from the canopy.  I know I have taken risks and made bad judgments.  I truly feel that but for the grace of my higher power (I choose to call God), there go I.

My husband and I have kayaks.  I have only gone out in it a couple of times, on non moving water.  I told my husband a couple of weeks ago that when we take our first trip on a river, I will be wearing lifejacket and a helmet.  I am a strong swimmer.  But I am not 20 anymore. 

There is much talk about the storm coming "out of nowhere" or whether it was pretty clear it was coming well before the boats left shore.  I know someone whose wife was delivering CPR to some of the victims.  I know many friends who have ridden these duck boats (I have not).  I am not crazy about going out on my lake from childhood anymore...just too busy and choppy.  I am too nervous and I have worked too many claims (more about that some future blog).  But people do it all the time, all summer.  Now we have learned 9 of these victims were from one family.  So sad.  Really makes me ponder.

It is so sad those people were out on the lake during a storm.  I have ridden my motorcycle in a couple of storms, maybe someday I will blog about it...but today, my thoughts, my prayers and my heart are going out to all those people on vacation, trying to show their fsmily a fun time.  Some question the decency of bystanders filming it.   Anticipate all the lawsuits...but this event serves as a reminder how precious life is, how powerful nature is and how we gotta take care of each other and pay attention.