Daily writing prompt
Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.
There's a new book out called Street Smart Safety, written by former law enforcement officer Joy Farrow and domestic violence survivor Laura Fromback. No, I'm not being paid to promote it. I learned about this book through a media pitch highlighting how women can and do use dogs to help keep them safe, and how we can up that level of safety a notch by paying attention to our dog's intuition, by not letting service people in our homes know if our dog bites or not, and by not giving away personal information to strangers who feign interest in our dog. We cat people can also use a cat's instincts to keep us safe.
One huge takeaway I got from Joy while watching interviews she's done to promote the book is that women are taught to be nice but are often victimized because they are. You'll see how this is relevant to the post in a minute.
Mavis from her outdoor days
Here's a personal story of how I used a cat's instincts to keep myself safe. One recent evening I came home after doing some gig work, and as I walked toward the back door, I saw Mavis the feral cat make a mad dash from my driveway across the back yard. I walked around the corner to discover what had spooked her and saw a man and woman walking up my driveway. I hadn't seen then when I drove up, so where did they come from?
The man asked to use my phone and gave a sob story about his girlfriend being pregnant. But wait, isn't one of the MAGA gripes about the "Obama phone?" Surely everybody has one. Regardless, I sure as hell am not going to let anyone use mine. So I said no and told him to leave my property. But they didn't do that. Instead the man started berating me for being mean and unreasonable, so I started yelling and cussing to let him know he hadn't seen the half of how mean and unreasonable I can be. The couple cussed back, and I won't lie, I was scared. But once I started snapping photos, they tore out of there. See, I told you they were up to no good.
The couple tearing out across a neighbor's yard
Here is what I know:
- If the couple truly needed help, they would have flagged me down as I drove by.
- The odds of any neighbor coming to my assistance were slim to none, and they didn't disappoint.
- While my neighbors likely did watch the show and laugh at that crazy old woman's antics safely behind closed doors, the truth is I was safer with them watching and laughing than I would have been if those two had come to my back door, where they could have forced themselves inside and no one may have ever known.
- Mavis may have saved my life that night.
Would you have been willing to do the same? Would you have even thought yourself in danger? Please tell me you wouldn't have let them use your phone.
These days Mavis spends her time indoors
If you would have reacted differently, maybe you need to read Street Smart Safety. And maybe start paying more attention to what companion animals are telling you.
Do you have a story to tell about how an animal kept you safe? Please share it with us.
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