This has been kind of a scary week for me. Last Saturday I had the bright idea of taking Logan downtown to walk around Temple Square and see some of the sights of downtown Salt Lake City. We’ve done this on several occasions, attended outside concerts, and browsed along the streets together. But now, I’m afraid I am going to have to think twice the next time I consider traveling downtown just the two of us. We decided to take the Trax Train in order to avoid the stresses of parking in Salt Lake. The ride up wasn’t so bad. A few obnoxious kids here and there, but overall very peaceful. However, as we were waiting for the train back we were approached by a heavily tattooed Hispanic man who was determined to find out everything about us. He bragged that he had started one of the biggest gangs in Utah and was now trying to help kids reach their dreams and pestered me about getting my Facebook information so he could look me up. While I do indeed have a Facebook account, I was not about to give out that information to this man, or to anyone for that matter. So I lied and said that I didn’t have a Facebook and wasn’t planning on getting one. Luckily the train was crowded and Logan and I weren’t forced to sit next to him when the train arrived. I prayed that he would get off the train soon, and luckily that prayer was answered a few stops later.
A few days after the train incident mine and my father’s cars were broken into. Luckily my father’s window was the only one broken, seeing as I would have no way to afford something like that at this moment in time. However, having someone break into your car is extremely nerve-wracking. You feel as if you have been completely violated. While nothing too important was taken, my garbage, an empty shoebox, my touch-up paint, and my jumper cables, I still am finding myself feeling rather paranoid every time I walk out to my car. I no longer leave my stereo in the car. Instead I carry it around in my purse with me and I feel that tension rise and fall each time I walk out the door.
As a single parent, life can be scary sometimes. You no longer have a big strong man to protect you anymore. You are left to your own defenses. If you are a single parent you have to know what to do to protect yourself if something were to happen. Whether that be carrying pepper spray around in your purse or investing in some self-defense classes. Unfortunately, we live in a world with lots of evil people. Know what you need to do to be able to protect you and your children. You never know when you are going to get stopped at the train station.