Not my favorite way to start the morning……

 

I was almost kidnapped when I was in 5^th grade.  If I haven't shared that story with you, let me know and I will.   Since then I have been more aware of my surrounding for that is what saved me from an early death. 

 

This morning I pulled into our parking structure a little earlier than I usually do because I had an appointment at 8:00 and I always like to beat the clients here by 15 to 20 minutes.   As I came off the street I noticed a man aimlessly walking around the parking structure.  At 7:40 in the morning most people have a fairly direct line from their car, up the stairs and into the building to start the work day and don't just randomly wonder around the parking lot so this caught my attention.   I also immediately got an uncomfortable feeling. 

 

I pulled into my regular parking spot but instead of putting my car in park and hurrying to gather my stuff, I left the car in drive (which keeps my doors locked) and scanned the area to see if this man was still around.  It was not even a full second that I saw him walking toward my car.  He walked a few feet away around the front of my car and then disappeared behind the wall next to which I park.   At this point the two of us were the only ones in the parking area.  I decided to stay in my car with the doors locked until someone else pulled up and I could safely walk into the building with them.

 

It took 10 minutes before another car pulled in and luckily two actually pulled in at the same time.  During those 10 minutes I didn't see that man again but was full aware that he was still in there since he would have had to come back into my line of vision in order to exit because there is only one exit and I was in between him and the exit.   I quickly got out of my car and walked with a faster pace toward the other two women who were making their way into work.  I looked over my shoulder and sure enough that man was standing behind a wall peering out to see where I was.   It made my skin crawl. 

 

Please everyone, be aware of your surroundings and if you don't feel right about a situation there is nothing wrong with trusting it.   After all I would much rather look like a paranoid idiot than find myself in a horrible situation.