One Night I Was Alone In The Big City

My daughter was in the hospital fighting for her life December of 2005. I had been inside the hospital for 4 days straight, never leaving or going anywhere but her room and the restroom. I was starting to go stir crazy and the nurse could tell. I noticed they had been watching me most of that day and finally at around five in the evening one of them spoke up and said “Mrs. Seacrist you really need to get out of here for a while. Go get something to eat, we will call if anything happens or changes.” She gave me some directions to a place about six blocks away that had places to eat. Grabbing my purse and my cell phone I made the journey to a Chinese restaurant that she said was wonderful. When I left it was daylight and I must admit it felt good to breathe some fresh air, even if it was cold. I sat there and forced myself to eat the entire meal because I knew I needed to recharge. When you are a Mom you know these things. I finished up, paid the check, and headed outside only to find it was dark. I didn’t mind because where I was there was plenty of people but when I started down a side street I realized it was deserted.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

I was alone in Baltimore City, walking down streets I didn’t know. Little did I know I was getting ready to feel that little ball of fear in the pit of your stomach that makes you feel sick inside. I walked another block and made another turn and there was no one except three men, standing right in the middle underneath a little awning going into what looked like an apartment building. I don’t like to think the worst of people but I was alone, walking a street I didn’t know, at night.

I admit it, I was scared.

Needless to say I made it back to the hospital fine but I never forgot that night. The fear in the pit of my stomach was intense and it stuck with me. I have always tried to avoid dangerous situations such as being out alone at night, walking the streets late at night, etc. Sometimes though you have no choice and when you are walking that dark street and you are scared or need help, who do you turn to? Sure you could call a family member but will that be quick enough?

My girls are teenagers and soon Roxy will be going off to college and walking a campus at night. I can’t always hold her hand and that scares me. I know what the fear of being afraid and alone feels like; I don’t want her to feel the same thing. But how can I keep her safe when I am at home and she is thousands of miles away? College can be a scary place and sometimes you find yourself in situations you have never handled before or even thought about. Safety is not always the first thought in a college students mind and sometimes a sticky situation is more than you can handle, so where do you turn?

We do not live in a safe world anymore.

It is not just Roxy. If you read “When Your Life Falls Apart” here on the blog you know Avery had a knife pulled on her in school. She was alone in the bathroom with a very unstable girl that had a knife. Just thinking about the fact this girl could have stabbed her and left her bleeding to death frightens me more than being on a street by myself.

When you are a Mom, single or not, these thoughts are always present in your mind. What do I do to make my kids safe in a world that seems to get crazier every day? Every time you turn on the news there is a new horror story, someone has killed, raped, maimed, or tortured someone. It is so common now that we have almost developed a thick skin to it. I started looking into phone apps that could aid in safety. I found quite a few such as circle of 6, bsafe, and LifeGaurd 360 but the one that really stuck with me was Street Safe Mobile Security App. It has a “walk with me” safety feature that intrigued me. You can slide a button and one of the LIVE off-duty law enforcement officers and trained safety advisors will call you back. You can explain to them that you are scared, uncomfortable, etc and they will talk with you while you walk/drive to where you need to go and if you say you need help or they sense you need help they will call 911. If you are unable to slide the green button because you are in immediate danger it has a red button you can discreetly slide that will alert them you are in need of help. They will immediately track your location using GPS and send emergency help right away.

I am not saying this is a cure all to safety but it does help you have a little peace of mind about your childrens safety. Don’t forget about you though, you are important too. My girls are constantly reminding me they want to keep me around for a long time and I need to continue being safe. I am not sure how this would work for boys but I would definitely talk to them about it. Grown men may not like the idea so much. I asked my brother and Dad if they would use it and their first reaction was “If someone attacked me they would need that service more than me.” Men, they are so macho, lol. I guess I will never quit worrying about my girls, regardless of what app they have, how smart they are, or tough. Once you become a parent it seems worry is your best friend. But I think with something like Street Safe, life lessons, and a little common sense peace of mind can be a little closer.

What type of things do you do to keep your child safe? Have you used an app? If so which one?