I was attacked today. I am fine physically, mentally I'm not so sure.
I am a 48 year old woman that lives in Columbus, Ohio. I like to think I am street smart. I walk against traffic (even though I was taught to walk
with the traffic as a child) because I can see someone coming if they wanted to do something to me and if they are going the same direction as I am
they have to cross a lane of oncoming traffic to get to me.) I have a life philosophy that says if I'm in any situation that decreases my life
expectancy by 15 % or more I've gotta get out of there.
I decided to walk to Wells Fargo to make my car payment today. It is in a strip mall about 2 miles from my house. Part of it was the beautiful
weather, part of it was I was bored. I got to a street that I had never been down before but it was only 4 blocks long. I could see the other end of
the street and the back of the strip mall I needed to go to from the top of the street. It is a major street.
I walked one block down so far so good. The second block I started to see gang graffiti and got a little nervous. The third block I saw apartment
complexes that I wouldn't let my dog live in and thought damn I feel sorry for people that have to live like this day in and day out. I didn't see
anyone on the street though so I relaxed a little and got to the strip mall.
I made my car payment and started home.My safest bet was the same street I had just walked down.
I got to one of the apt. complexes and saw 3 young men in front of it. I glanced their way and kept walking. I am 5'9" and I walk with a purposeful
stride, I didn't hurry, I just kept walking. One of the guys looked like he was native Hawaiian or from Samoa. He was my height, weighed about 230
and had wild hair. He looked to be 17 or 18.
I had cleared the apt. complex and all of a sudden I hear a war hoop, as in the old cowboy movies before the Indians would attack. I turned a see
this man/child running at me with all he has. He is calling out a war hoop, he also has super soaker water gun in his hands.
My mind
could not rap around the image I was looking at. If he would of had a bat, club,crowbar or nothing in his hands I would of got it. My
mind just could not piece together what I was seeing. I turned sideways to make myself a smaller target. I thought clearly, because my first thought
was if I take 2 steps forward at the last second and stick out my foot, his momentum will put him on the ground really hard. Then my brain says there
are 2 more, you can't win.
He body slams me into the ground and proceeds to spray me with this damn gun in the eyes. The pressure hurt badly. My response is "THAT HURTS,STOP
IT" he doesn't. My mind said you have to get up NOW. I got up and said" It's hot today and I have been walking so the water feels good, thank you.
Now stop it." He didn't. So now my mind says you HAVE to turn around and walk away. I REALLY didn't want to turn my back on him but I did. He let
me leave, as I was walking away he says "You don't belong here" My thought was "What gave you your first clue???? " The mods will get upset if I
type the rest of my thoughts. I got off the street and made it home.
I realize this could have been so much worse and probably wasn't because while I believe this person will probably cross over to criminal at some
point, he's not there yet. I am angry, confused and ashamed. My reaction to this situation puzzles me. I could say it worked out and I lived to
fight another day, but I didn't fight back. I could say common sense prevailed in that there were 3 of them. Instead I am shaking rethinking every
thing I know. I didn't react the way I expected I would if this ever happened.
SO all I can say is say this. I learned today that the "boogeyman' so to speak may not be packaged as you expect,and if your brain says there is a
problem there probably is. I am very sad.