Fortune Favors The Prepared

When my Dad was teaching me how to drive, the biggest thing he wanted me to know was to always be aware of my surroundings, other drivers and what was coming ahead- on both sides of the highway. In short he wanted me to focus on being a more defensive driver and always on alert, looking beyond just the car right in front of me. I will be the first to admit that when it comes to driving that I am geographically challenged- I may not know when I am always heading North, South, East or West and may get lost from time to time in unfamiliar territory but somehow I do  notice what is going on around me and am always going over scenarios in the back of my brain about what I would do "if". And with most of my driving with kids in the car I am on heightened alert to where they are sitting in the car and which direction would be my "go-to" if something were to happen. Though I pray with ALL my heart that we will never be in any situation where those type of maneuvers will have to take place, I am at least thankful that with some type of pre-planning we may at least have a chance if it comes down to it. And at least having a plan is better than nothing.

That is the same line of thinking that I have for a lot of things and while not everything in life always goes with a plan per-say, I feel better and a lot less stressed when there is at least some type of plan in place. This can be in our day to day family life, my to-do list(s), ball schedules, meetings, chores, etc. all revolve around planning.

One thing that I have not yet had a chance to set aside some time to put together a good solid plan for is assault prevention. Yeah, that may seem like it's completely out of left field but in all honestly do most instances get a warning before it happens- nope! Like defensive driving, I have ran some scenarios in my head when I am running errands and it's just me and the kids... what if this or what if that... but all end in my biggest defense being to push the alam button on my keyring and hoping that it's enough of a distraction or gains attention from others in a parking lot... that's all I've got (well, that and my Dad did also teach me how to hold my keys between my knuckles if I needed to get physical). I know many of us as mothers feel the most vulnerable when strapping our kids into the car- at least I do. My back is turned, both hands are busy, mentally my focus is on the kids, buckling them up and getting the heck out of there and onto the next activity. And if you add in an upset, crying baby or bickering kids into the mix you can certainly say goodbye to quick thinking reactions. I would feel much better being prepared and even knowing how to talk to the kids about what they would need to do also, because they would definitely have to have a clear plan of action as well.

That's why I am really looking forward to a course my friend is offering for assault prevention. I am so excited about it that I wanted to share the flyer, date and any other information in the hopes that other women, moms and even teens can attend or at least start the conversation.

The fact is that it is a reality that we do need to be prepared for. Unfortunately, I have been in a few unexpected emergency situations (non-violent, thank goodness) and my knee-jerk reaction is to "freeze". I am paralyzed with panic and can not focus on one single action to even start an inkling of an idea of what to do next. This was what happened to me when Adam had his first seizure. But, I became educated and the second time we had a plan and I was much more calm with having steps and the knowledge of what to do next. In no way shape or form was it a pleasurable process but I definitely did not regress to "freak-out mode".

We talk to the kids all the time about "stranger danger" to prepare them for what actions they could take if faced with various situations. I look at this as the same opportunity but for adults.

Here is a quick little intro from my friends at Operation 21 who will be leading the class:

   "With crime and victimization of friends and loved ones on the rise, allow our highly trained staff with over 40 years of law enforcement experience help prepare you for life's unexpected moments. Not only will you learn about the laws of what you can do and not do, but also techniques on how to gain separation from an attacker. Lunch is included, vendors will be on site to discuss safety items that can assist in the prevention and defense of your property and loved ones."

I jokingly asked him if he was going to teach me to take someone out with my thumb and he laughed and said no but it will focus on gaining distance and separation, which to me sounds just fine! I honestly would not know what to do in a physical confrontation- I like to think that my inner Wonder Woman would sub-consciously take over and all those times I watched Noah's Karate lessons would automatically upload into my brain and I would kick some serious @$$, the reality of that happening may not be in my favor...so the quicker I get out of there the better it would be for everyone involved. Proceeds from the course will benefit Forsyth Family Haven so that's even one more reason I am excited to attend. If you would like to join me on May 16th from 9am-2pm please register online at OPERATION21.com. They are also on Facebook so please be sure to {click here} and like their page for updates and more information on this and future courses.