Be Careful!

Be careful when you're walking around, particularly at night. It doesn't matter how safe you feel or how far off the beaten path you might be - there are people out there who are just sick and wrong. Know your surroundings, know if there are people around you and know where you might be vulnerable.

I was running tonight at my apartment complex gym and looked out the window to find a man masturbating. I called the cops and gave them a report, but they didn't find anyone. They're still looking around to see where he's run off to.

I won't go into the details, but know that I'm safely back in my apartment behind double dead bolts. More than anything I'm feeling extremely creeped out. I'm extremely grateful that the gym is behind 2 key card entry points and for the police officers who have been casing the neighborhood since I called and walked me home. It really could have been a whole lot worse. It wasn't exactly a positive experience, but I'm glad nothing happened and that I was safe albeit slightly traumatized.

This was a shocking reminder that this world isn't as nice as we sometimes assume and that we just need to be more careful in our decisions and our actions.

I don't know if I'll be able to go back and do my middle-of-the-night running schedule again. I'm just feeling dirty and vulnerable and just plain sick at this point. Maybe this means I'll have to get up like the rest of the adults in this country at a reasonable hour and run in the morning. Until then I think I'm going to get some mace to keep with me when I'm walking around anywhere - the complex, rural cities when I'm on the road, or downtown Richmond.

All of you, be extra careful.