About a month ago, the New Yorker wrote an article about Paul McCartney. The writer spent several days with him. At one point, they were walking down the street in London and someone jumped in front of them asking for a photo and an autograph. McCartney was gracious and later the writer pointed out that the exact same thing probably happened to John Lennon on the day he was shot. The writer said that guy who jumped out at them could have been another Mark David Chapman (the killer) and McCartney replied yeah, but he could have also been jesus.
I appreciate this sentiment.. one can't live in fear and most people who approach you do not have malicious intentions.
With that in mind, I was in Trader Joe's the other day with Jack in the ergo. We were in the checkout line when a man in his late fifties walked by and exclaimed what a beautiful baby and could he see him (I took this as asking permission to approach us). I said sure and he made a funny face at Jack who smiled. Then the guy said, see - he can tell how much I care about him.
In the two seconds that it took for all of my blood to run cold the guy made another face at Jack who just looked away and I simply turned around. It was one of the creepiest moments of my life and it has really been bugging me. I completely froze and fled as soon as my motor neurons got the message from my brain that this person was a freak... and more specifically, dangerous. I wish I had reacted more aggressively.
I don't want to live my life in fear of people like this. They are few and far between. But when you encounter them, you do (to paraphrase anne lamott) want to stand guard outside your house with a shotgun for the entirety of your child's life.
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