Freaky Saturday

Today I decided to go to the dollar store after work and just walk around and look at things (just in case there was any lonely scrapbook stuff that needed a home). While I was walking around, I passed a old man who was talking to himself as he looked for a specific cleaning product on the shelf. He smiled at me as I passed and told me that he always talks to himself. I told him, as I laughed, that I talk to myself too and I also answer myself sometimes. WELL, this really got him started, because I was then told that he also answers himself! Somehow, this did not surprise me in the slightest. He began to tell me his reason for answering himself as well as tell me a lengthy story about a situation he was in with his neighbor. Turns out, his neighbor planned to spend the day with him but cut the visit short because he thought the guy was nuts because he always talked to himself AND answered himself. He also proceeded to tell me his age (60) and various other things.

Ok. I would love to tell you that this was the end of my adventures at the dollar store, but it's far from over. It hasn't even gotten creepy yet!

I finally got away from the conversation thanks to a wonderful little old lady who needed to pass through the isle we were standing in. Bless her soul! I continued on with my shopping throughout the isles and thought I heard something a couple isles away from me. It was the same man and he was talking non stop to himself! I began to keep an eye on this man in order to maintain a healthy distance from him. I walked over to the other side of the store thinking I would be way out of the way of him. Then, as I was looking at some stuff on the shelf, I happened to glance up and notice.....guess who? AND he was coming toward me with his shopping cart. I quickly avoided eye contact and went back to looking through the stuff on the shelf. Then, he stopped right beside me and said in a determined voice "I want to tell you something. You're pretty!" I smiled and said "Thank you." Then I looked back at the shelf. He continued to talk as I continued to look at the shelf as often as possible. He said that he wouldn't lie about something like that and that he would have no reason to. I said nothing. I then went in to my "ignore them" mode because I was very, very uncomfortable. I even became a little scared when he then went around the corner, so he was standing right in front of me, and waved goodbye with his index finger, while smiling and whispering something. I began to pray for my safety and continued to stay in the store for a very long time incase he had decided to wait for me out in the parking lot. I also had my dad's voice in my head going through all of the self defense tactics he always drilled me on growing up. This man didn't have a chance! ;)

I was glad to see that he was not in the parking lot and not across the street waiting for me to come out of the store. I checked everything out well and made a plan of what I was going to do in various situations that I could find myself in if this man decided to be more than just a customer at the store.

I know I'm sounding paranoid, but I have been trained to be very cautious. I would rather be overly cautious and not be harmed.

Here are my dad's lessons:

Be aware of your surroundings.
Check the back seat of your car before you get in.
If someone grabs you from the front, kick him in the gonads or gouge his eyes out. Then run!