Lessons in Being Cautious
I am that super annoying person who always looks behind a group to make sure we’re not followed (just ask my friend Michelle, who wanted to KILL me in Paris when I was convinced we were going to get mugged in Montmarte). I am also that crazy person who doesn’t enter her garage until the door has fully opened and i have been able to look around to make sure there’s not a creeper around my car.
Last night that very thing happened…
I went to pick up Mike at 10 p.m. from work (he had our turkey!) and did my normal cautious routine…I then opened my car door and saw that items from center console (Michael Jackson CDs, a JLo CD from college, etc.) were strewn across my driver’s seat. I then saw a man in my car.
A MAN SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF MY CAR.
My instincts told me to scream, so I screamed. I screamed about why he was in my garage, and get out of my car and leave and tried to get him to leave. He then proceeded to yell at me and then run to the garage door opener to SHUT ME INSIDE THE GARAGE WITH HIM.
Literally, I thought he was going to kill me, so I fought back. Fortunately, I was able to stop the garage door from closing by setting off the motion detector. He then threw me to the ground, grabbed my phone and strangled me.
At that point, after I had screamed enough, two men intervened and got my phone back (cracked from him throwing it to the ground) and the police came.
Today I have bruises around my neck…chest…fingers. But I’m safe.
Today, I’ve made a greater resolve to ALWAYS be aware of my surroundings and to always help those in need. I saw my neighbors staring down at me from their windows - which I understand as I would probably do that too - but those two men. They are the ones that made the difference for me last night. Despite this horrible experience, I am so thankful for that.
