reflexes

I stopped by the library to pick up some stuff I ordered the other night. I'm waiting in line and these three middle school kids are freaking out because some other kid threatened to jump one of them for his mp3 player. The security guy there tells them to shut up but the guy next to me in line gives them some good advice and such.

I get my newest batch of music and I'm walking to the car when this scuzzy guy comes up behind me and starts asking me to help him. It's not like I have never been asked for money or whatever, but this just set off every red flag imaginable and I ran for my car (thankful for the door opener on my key ring), locked it, and pulled out as fast as I could. Once I turned and ran, he took off too.

As I was driving away, I felt a twinge of unnecessary guilt but that was quickly replaced with anger at being marked as an easy target or someone easy to intimidate. If you really needed help, there were all sorts of people in there and the last person you would need to ask would be a young solitary female walking to her car in a dark parking lot. And I resent that I am ultimately so vulnerable and that I always have to watch my back.