I’m heading to my local grocery store. As I pull into the
parking space, I see something that catches my eye. It is such a beautiful
sight that I can’t stop staring as she gets out of the car. She is gorgeous.
Her blond hair is blowing in the breeze, beautiful smile and laughing. I know that
I must meet her. I can’t control myself. I have never felt like this before.
She is perfect. She is God’s gift to me. She is 6 years old.
As we enter the grocery store, I keep watching her and just
want to talk to her. Her mom may pose a little problem if I approach her but
I’m patient. Up and down the isles we go. I keep my distance so I don’t stick
out like a sore thumb. Then I see my chance. Mom is busy looking at the sales
while my princess starts to make her way towards the cereal. I carefully
approach her and call her by her name. At first she looks at me skeptically
until I ask her how school is going and if she is enjoying her ballet lessons.
I also ask how her brother is doing in football.
I CAN’T be a stranger since I know so much about her.
Before anyone notices, we are walking out the grocery store…
As children, we are told by our parents not to talk to
strangers. We are told that there are bad people out there that want to hurt
us. We are told not to tell strangers our names and to tell an adult if a
stranger tries talking to us. In a small child’s mind, if you know my name you
can’t possibly be a stranger. If you know mom’s name (or dad’s), you must be a
friend of theirs so I shouldn’t worry.
There are many predators out there. A quick search of my
state’s Department of Public Safety’s website showed that there are 132
registered sex offenders within a 3 mile radius and 22 within 1 mile of where I
live. There is one the next street over. Would I do anything to protect my
daughter from them? You bet I will.
Now, question: How many people out there will go and say to
a sex offender “Good morning, this is my daughter Jane and she is in your
target range?” Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Well the fact is that it is not. The
scenario played out at the beginning is not farfetched in any way.
Subconsciously we give the predators all the information that they need. Some
of you readers are either doing it, or have close family members that are doing
it. Trying to figure out how we TELL them? Vehicle decals and bumper stickers.
We have all seen them: the family stick figure portrait on
the back window. Mom, Dad, kiddos and pets along with the names underneath. How
about those activity decals (football, lacrosse, hockey, ballet, dance, etc)
with your child’s name under it. “Proud parent of a ‘insert school name here’
Honor Roll student.
Get the picture? As parents we are very proud of our
children and their accomplishments. We love to brag about them. We tell our
friends and family about their latest feat. But we are also giving the
predators this information that can be used against our own children.
We are constantly putting out of information out there for
everyone to see without a second thought.
What got me going on this subject? Well, let me tell ya. I had been talking
about this same thing in a class one day when a person made a comment that was
so ridiculously stupid that it sent me into a brief coma leaving me speechless.
Once the initial “you gotta be kidding me, are you smoking crack???” shock wore
off, I fought off the urge to knock some common sense into him and moved on.
On my way home I had been thinking about this entire
conversation and how flabbergasted I was over it. Well, I had to stop and get
gas and at the pump next to me was an SUV, with the decals on the rear window,
kids in the back (little boy and young girl) and mom is working the pump. Any
other day I would have not even paid too much attention to it but that day the
temptation was just too much.
I looked over at the woman, smiled and politely asked how
she was doing. She smiled and replied. I’m in uniform so she wasn’t freaked
out…yet. I then asked, by name how the kids liked their football and ballet.
Now I could see the panic starting to set in. Before she could get into panic
mode, I pointed out the decals on the back of her car and how potential
predators could get the same information (I NEVER would have tried this while out
of uniform since it would be the fastest way to get the cops called on me).
As we spoke for a few minutes, she said that she had never
thought about it in that manner and truly thanked me for making her see it from
a different angle. I told her that I have children myself and being proud of
them is what we do as parents as well as protecting them. We parted ways and I
drove off into the sunset (literally, it was just that time of day and I have
to drive West to get home…).
