Coffee With Maddie




In the past couple of weeks there’s been an e-mail circulating regarding safety tips for women. My mom had forwarded it to me as well as one of my sisters-in-law. I don’t always read all the forwarded messages I receive, but this one caught my eye and I read it each time I received it from beginning to end. For the most part, I’m a very cautious person, but there were a couple of tips I had never thought of. I want to pass them on to you . . . if any of them help even one woman, or man for that matter, they’re worth repeating here.

(1) Here’s a tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest part of the body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

(2) If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you . . . chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than in you and he will go for the wallet/purse. Run like mad in the other direction.

(3) If you are ever thrown in the trunk of a car: Kick out the back taillights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

(4) Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.). DON’T DO THIS! Someone could be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side. As soon as you get into your car, lock the doors and drive away.

(5) ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot.

(6) If someone has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! According to statistics, the predator can only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely will not hit a vital organ. RUN!

(7) As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who always played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle and that is when he abducted his next victim.

After deciding to include these tips in my column, I headed to the library to find a book that might verify these statements. I checked out Safe, Smart and Self-Reliant, which was put out by the Foundation for Crime Prevention Education (Gerri M. Dyer, editor). Most of the above tips as well as many, many others were included in the book. The first chapter was about preventing these things from happening in the first place. How? Be aware and be prepared. It says, “Prevention is your best defense.”

There are also thousands of sites online with safety tips. A name that kept popping up was Patrick D. Malone. Mr. Malone is a licensed police self-defense instructor. The tips above and many more were found on some of these sites.

While I don’t believe we need to look for the boogieman behind every bush or around every corner, I think we need to try and be aware of our surroundings. The above tips may sound like worst-case scenarios, but having an idea of what to do in a given situation certainly makes me feel less vulnerable!

Until next week . . . God bless you and yours! -Maddie

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Coffee With Maddie: Archive;
Blessings
Magazine Junkie!
Maddie Goes to College
Changes
Let the season begin!
Getting Older!
I'm Getting Fat!
I Love a good book!
Family Games
Manners!
Someone to Love
A Special Anniversary
New Year Goals
My Spinal Tap!
The Book Store
I Salute Our Men in Uniform
Valentine's Day
My Birthday Choices
Current Events and Politics
Cabin Fever
We Can Choose the Words We Use
Let's Get Organized!
Support Our Troops
Acts of Kindness
Find Something to Do!
Yippee, Spring!
Yo Dude
Mother's Day
Flylady
My Favorite Things!
Going Camping

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About the Author;
Maddie is a dear friend from the Midwest who will touch your heart with her gentle stories of home of family. You can just picture yourself at the kitchen table any early morning with Maddie, a fresh cup of coffee, maybe the smell of bacon in the air, and a log on the fire to take out the chill.

Talk to Maddie at ...
Maddie@boomerjournals.com