At times, I have been accused of being paranoid. Maybe it is because I love to watch documentaries on crime so that I can stay informed of the criminal mind that is constantly working against us, the people who work for a living.
If always keeping in mind that there are dangerous people out there and being wary of placing myself in situations where they can get at me and my loved ones is paranoia, then I welcome being called paranoid.
Did you grow up in a neighborhood where gunfire broke the night silence at least once a week? I did. It may sound like an after-school special, or a sub-plot from Boyz N' The Hood, but by the time I graduated from high school, I’d been to five funerals of murder victims that I had known personally...and I grew up in Orange County, California.
Maybe that’s why I have an understanding that there are people and places in the country that are dangerous. Why, just last Friday, there was a shooting in Newport Beach and the suspect fled down the 73 South, the same toll road Teresa and I use everyday. Did I see the suspect? No, but I did almost get hit by a Newport Beach Patrol Car that passed me on Pacific Park in the bike lane, racing to catch up with the chase without his siren or lights on.
This guy’s sworn duty is to protect me and he almost killed me with his pursuit-induced bad driving, so can you image the capability of doing damage of someone who is intending to hurt me?
Now, I am not endorsing that we all live in fear, and I do not consider how I live living in fear, but it cannot hurt to be cautious of our surroundings and to watch for warning signs.
Last Friday, in Kansas City...why is it that when a meat-packing plant worker has walked into the plant and murdered 5 people, it seems like everyone saw it coming, but did nothing about it other than to stand around afterwards and say, “I knew it was going to happen.” Were they afraid of being accused of paranoia?
We live in an America where you can be at work and have a co-worker standing in front of you, gun in hand, and literally passing judgement by saying, “You haven’t done anything to me, so you can go,” then moving on to the next co-worker.
You’d better hope you didn’t accidentally spill coffee on this guy yesterday, or have taken too long in the bathroom when he needed to use it, because today is the day that he is going to walk in and end your life for it.
Oh, but I’m paranoid. I’m a crack-pot nut-ball when I don’t want to drive to certain cities and down certain streets at night, even in Orange County...
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