Why You Should Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Disaster and calamity can strike at any given moment. There’s evidence of this every time you go to flip on the morning news. But when it becomes personal, and it’s your world that’s the one crashing down, this can leave you in a position where you’re left making a careless decision that could wind up being your last. There are many reasons why you should be aware of your surroundings.
With the rise of global terrorism, school shootings, and natural disasters, choosing to live out life as if any of these situations could never happen to you, is like playing next to a fire. Eventually, you’re going to get burned.
Why You Should Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
That’s why it’s so important that you are aware of your surroundings every time you leave your home. These terrifying situations aren’t going to wait around long enough so that you can collect yourself, but there are several mental steps that you can take ahead of time so that you’re better prepared if such a disaster were to ever happen.
These steps can even help you in the workplace, or even when you’re in what you think a safe environment is, such as a church. Here are things for you to keep in mind and why you ought to be more aware of your surroundings.
Put Away the Distractions
We live in a day and age where we’re more distracted than ever. The next time you’re sitting down at a restaurant take a look around you. You’ll notice that several people are mesmerized by technology.
Maybe you’re one of them. You can even see people flying down the highway while on their cellphones, paying little attention to what’s going on in front of them. (Scary, but true.)
It’s important that we look up from our screens and stop being tunnel-visioned to our surroundings and the situations that might be developing. Take a look at the big picture and don’t allow yourself to become caught up with distractions.
You should be able to close your eyes and accurately describe your surroundings. This can give you a few extra precious seconds to make a wiser decision.
Look for an Exit
No matter what building you are heading into, whether it’s a school or grocery store, take a look at all the possible exits. It’s not too crazy an idea to come up with a plan of escape if a dangerous situation was to arise.
Pay attention to anything you could use as defense and where you might be able to hide if you had to. Some might call this crazy, but you can call it being smart.
Keep an Eye on the People Around You
Wherever you are, stop and take a look at the people around you. What are they wearing, what do they look like, and do they strike you as suspicious? Don’t feel guilty about stereotyping individuals that might pose any type of threat.
This way you’re more alert of their behavior and aware of any possible warning signs. This is also helpful in giving security a head’s up and possible information for police officers if anything becomes of it.
Avoid Being Predictable
Keep in mind that people may be watching you and your daily tendencies. You need to avoid being predictable, which can keep you and your family out of danger.
Try heading a different way to work, another time to stop in at the grocery store, or meeting up with friends at different times and destinations. This doesn’t mean you have to live life in a state of paranoia though.
Don’t Be An Easy Target
One very important thing for you to keep in mind is, avoiding places that make you an easy target. Especially when you’re alone.
This includes going for a walk by yourself, heading out into a dark parking garage, or answering your front door in the middle of the night. Don’t allow yourself to be easy prey for wicked and senseless people.
If you’re ever in a scary setting like this, it’s best to get yourself into a public setting as quickly as you can and to ask others for assistance.
If you are putting groceries into your trunk late at night, ask the security officer if they would help you. There’s no shame when it comes to your safety.
Know What the Situation Calls For
There might be a time where you have to run from a threat or to turn around to stand and fight, and it’s important for you to know which one you should choose.
This type of scenario is what is known as fight or flight. Depending on the situation, your first reaction should be to decide if it’s safer to hide or to get out of the building.
It’s never in your best interests to confront an aggressor, but only if you’re left with no other options. Once an attacker has shifted his focus on you, and you’re back is against the wall, it’s time to bring your claws out and find whatever means you can use to bring them down. This brings an element of surprise to them and may get you to safety.
Go With Your Gut Feeling
Never ignore your gut feeling. It’s there for a reason. When red flags or alarm bells are going off in your head, or there’s a knot in your stomach about something you’re unsure of, go with your gut feeling.
You’ll know when you’ve spotted someone behaving differently or carrying themselves in an odd manner. You shouldn’t feel silly about alerting a manager or security officer so that someone else is aware of what you may be feeling.
That keeps more eyes locked in on the situation and may possibly prevent a situation from ever taking place. You also shouldn’t stay in a building or setting if something appears out of place.
Final Word
We hope that this message didn’t stir up any anxiety or paranoia with you, but that it was a good reminder of why we all need to be more aware of our surroundings when we’re out in public.
These are some good reasons WHY you should be aware of your surroundings. Thank you for prepping. May God bless this world, Linda
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It’s not paranoia if it’s real. The threat level has risen significantly.
Sidearms at all times. Long guns In the vehicle if you leave the house.
If this caused a mental or physical reaction in you good. The sooner you adapt to the new reality the better.
Things “should” stabilize but we haven’t hit the low point yet by any means.
Stop texting and driving. Talk if you must communicate. FB and other social media doesn’t exist in public. Ignore it. As things are shutting down there’s zero reason to dress flashy. Tone it down because your a target. Let your car get dirty because again your a target with the shine. If I’m a thug in a parking lot I’m looking for the easy money. Sitting in Walmart parking lot is it That dirty ole Chevy truck with a probably armed grumpy old man with his pocket knife or that shiny new Lexus with the necklaced makeuped up older lady in heels?
Matt,
You did my work for me today. You said it all. Sidearm at all times and train regularly with it. AR in the vehicle or like in my case a Mini-14 and Mossberg Shockwave. And, this grey haired guy, as mentioned below, might just surprise a thug. And, a shout out to Linda for putting this post together.
Hi Harry, you know I always love your comments! You are a true Texan! Love it! Linda
I’m glad this post is well received. For decades I’ve been “that guy” ya know the crazy uncle no one wants to talk to at thanksgiving. Some of it is being misunderstood. I don’t want it nor wish it. I only want folks to be safe.
I’m still not doomsdaying it because I truly believe it will get better however it’s going to get worse first. the curve. This will only make it worse.
Good luck everyone
Hi Matt, I agree with you, it will get worse before it gets better. I’m not a doomsday chick, but people should have stocked up before this happened. NOW, maybe they will listen to us! God bless everyone, Linda
Thanks for the reply Matt,
My attitude on being armed is the flat tire scenario. It is the solution of last resort. If I have a flat, the first try is the can of “blow and go” in the back to see if it will get me to a repair place. If not, I will put the spare on. If it is flat, then I will call AAA. And, my firearms are my AAA. As you said, first choice is to leave and avoid a confrontation. Second choice is deescalation. Last choice is to use your firearms.
To you and all folks on Linda’s wonderful blog, have a great weekend. Stay safe and stay well in these trying times. God bless you all!!
Hi Harry, great comment as usual. Please stay well and have a great weekend! Linda
Matt – great comment. I don’t drive a shiny new Lexus but I am the little old lady (no heels) but with a necklace on and a side arm concealed on her side. No one would expect me to be carrying I think!! As I told someone once, 1) if I am carrying, you won’t know until I have to pull my gun out and 2) I don’t carry to impose my will on you but to keep you from imposing your will on me!
Two things that I know are these: 1) practice if you are going to carry a weapon – no matter if it is a pistol or a knife. Practice, practice and 2) practice walking normally if you are carrying concealed. My shooting instructor was a woman and she said that the worst thing you can do when carrying concealed is change how you walk – it is a dead give away. She said that we typically swing our dominant arm differently and we need to practice not doing that!
Oh Leanne, I LOVE this comment! Linda
Excellent advice Matt! Thank you.
It is definitely time for the “sheepdog” instincts to surface within.
If you have grey hair you are wearing a target.
Hi E.J. oh my gosh, I think you are maybe right. Linda
I think that this little old lady will surprise any who want to take her on!!
Hi Leanne, I was thinking the same thing about you! Love it! Linda
Matt, you are 100% correct, people need to get with the times on self protection, especially women. Recently i pulled into a shopping center parking lot to go to the hardware store, lot was full so i had to park out in the boonies as my wife calls it,
Young lady that i parked beside of seemed very nervous and upset, tears in her eyes, i asked if anything was wrong, two men had followed her and was very close to her when i got out of my truck, i could see them behind another car. I waited until she loaded her grocery’s, got in her car and left.
I also got in my truck and left, why? Because i wanted to avoid a consultation that probably would not have ended well because i am that grumpy old man.
Linda is right on about her “gut feeling”, “be aware of you surroundings”, “know what the situation calls for”, i asked why didn’t you go back into the store when you became aware of the situation, texting!! should not have been on the cell phone be alert, don`t think it can`t happen to you, it can!!!
Women, you are an easy target, read what Linda has posted and do it!!!!
HI Hearl, way to go! Thank goodness you were there! You know I love hearing this, Linda
You definitely are one of the good guys! God bless you for helping this young lady.
Hi Harry, I totally agree! Linda
I am an older lady and I can vouch for this type of situation. What happened to me was this: I was getting ready to load my groceries one day in broad daylight. I had just unlocked my car when I felt a hand on my shoulder. This guy had come up behind me and well, who knows what he wanted! Well, I whirled around with my key chain weapon in my hand about his face level and boy did he step back. Surprised he didn’t fall! I learned that day that there are things we all (not just women) need to do.
I have the key chain weapon – the weapon looks just like a decorative thing but has two holes for fingers and the ears become the weapon. I know I purchased it on Amazon but I couldn’t locate it any longer. It was called a Wild Cat Defense Keychain.
Leanne, glad you were prepared! We all need one of those deals! Linda
If you have keys you have a weapon. Thread the individual keys between your fingers. Now you have brass knuckles for punching or scratching. (I horrified a date one time when I automatically did that–he asked, so I explained!) I also learned a few dirty tricks from my Dad’s WWII self-defense booklet, as well as my big brother…
Probably partly from a lifetime of working with and around large animals who *could* do serious damage, and being in the woods where you’d best stay alert, I suppose that need to know what’s going 360 degrees carries over… I’m always appalled by people who do various things while wearing ear-buds, totally unaware of anything but what’s right in front of them. No wonder people get mugged while jogging!
I used to use my keys as well. I like my kat key ring though – it is cute and functional!
I totally agree with the comment on ear buds!
Hi Leanne, the earbuds, need we say more. People please be aware of your surroundings. Linda
Hi Rhonda, the earbuds….don’t get me started. I think it’s wonderful they make them IF you are aware of your surroundings. Stay safe! Linda
Something that I do now when I am out shopping, besides just being aware of what is going on around me is this:
My key fob when clicked once unlocks just the driver’s door; clicked 2X and it unlocks all doors. I do not unlock my doors until I am at my car. AND I have my keys in my hand all the time so that as soon as I open the door I am going to use to load my groceries or whatever, I am pushing the lock button to lock all the other doors. Then when I close that door, all doors are locked and no one is getting in. Also, when I get into my car, the only door unlocked will be my drivers door and that gets locked as soon as I get in.
I try to NEVER shop after dark but of course, during the winter, that is not always possible.
Hi Leanne, I just shake my head when I see you girls walking in the grocery store parking lot texting on their phones and it’s 11:30 at night or whatever. Alone. I do not get it. I was raised to be more cautious but you and I didn’t have cell phones back in the day. Thank goodness you and I have a key fob. I hope your shoulder is still healing. Stay well, Linda
Leanne, you are a very smart woman, and also very lucky, most of the time the person that comes up behind you has a weapon of some sort. You have “street sense” that`s important.
I don`t want to get in an argument about firearms, but i have spent days training women how to handle a hand gun and use it safely, taught firearm courses right on the firing line. it is too complex to discuss here. The time now is not like it was years ago, stop living in the past……
Don`t be a victim!!!!!!!
Hearl, great comment! Linda
Well Linda, another truly great & sadly needed article, especially for the ladies!!! Due to my many years in Law Enforcement, my wife got more from this than I did…I have failed to teach her I’m afraid, so many personal thanks from me .
SUGGESTION – Once in a while, a picture is more explanatory than many words so it would be nice if you could have your people figure out a way for your many admirers to attach a picture in these comments. Jake
Hi Jake & Sylvia, you should join my Food Storage Moms private group on FaceBook (we talk to each other with only kind ideas and thoughts) And yes pictures are shared. I wonder if someone knows how to upload a picture in the comments. Hmmm. There are so many copyright lawsuits we may never be able to upload in my website. Dang, Linda https://www.facebook.com/groups/293154608161380/
Oh yes, I understand.
We stay away from the Social Media type sites (except your’s)…old fashioned I guess. We’re not at all tech- savvy! We just don’t want to take the time (or) have any information about us floating around in space, LOL.
I just thought being able to post a picture to you occasionally would be useful.
Be safe in these troubled times. We’re hunkered down up in the Northwest!
Jake