I grew up in a big city and was also taught to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I would encourage all parents to teach their children not to text and walk at the same time. I have watched so many young people doing this and it disturbs me how little they are aware of their surroundings while they are entranced at the phone screen. So much can happen in a very short period of time.
Trouble wrote: Situational awareness is a key factor in daily survival. Many people do not realize just how vulnerable they are doing a normal activity such as grocery shopping. I see so many people, women in particular, making careless errors that could cost them their life.
You and Nymisis should get together..You could talk and talk for hours about how the whole world is out to get ya..
My college freshman year roommate was from DC and would tell me stories of going clubbing alone from the age of 15 (she was a wild child). I asked her if she ever had any trouble walking those streets alone and she said nope, she just walked like she knew where she was going and with attitude. She said there was one time that some guy started following her, getting a little closer after each block. Finally after a few blocks of walking and not ditching him, she turned around and yelled right at him "What the *$@# do you want?" and he was so startled that he ran off. I had a hard time believing that at some point, someone wouldn't try to get through that little bit of defense she carried in her attitude, but she was a "Don't *$@# with me kind of person", not the friendliest of people, so I could almost see how she could carry it off. Awareness of your surroundings, and your attitude, is definitely the most important part of keeping yourself safe. Unless something happened to me, I don't see myself carrying a weapon though. I bought pepper spray for the first time ever a year and a half ago, only because I was going to start walking my new dog around our neighborhood while pushing my 2 year old in the stroller too and wanted to take extra measures to keep her safe as our mobility was compromised by the stroller (unstrapping and removing children from strollers is not a quick action). Walking a German shepard didn't hurt either!
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill