Hair Raising Experience

I took the dogs walking tonight. There is a park close to the house, so I often walk over there with my roommates' dogs, Sydney, an Australian Shepard, and Max, a very oversized border collie.

It was a lovely evening to walk. On our second lap around the park, I saw two men get out of their car and begin walking onto the park grounds, just in the path of where I was to walk.

I found myself running the mental check of 'Where can I go?' 'What can I do if I need to defend myself?' 'What weapons do I have?' (Hair stick--check!)

fortunately, my hackles were raised for no reason; I had logically thought there would be no reason in the first place.

But being a woman, two large dogs or not, I still ran the mental check. It's innate. You run that mental check several times a day. Even in broad day-light, you wonder if you are safe enough; you wonder if the men walking toward you wish harm on you.

It is the female brain. I think this is one thing men cannot quite wrap their minds around. Men, most likely, seldom need to be concerned with who is going to attack them. Women consider this constantly, the thought is always there.

I am very happy that these days I find my martial arts influencing which way my brain plans and assesses situations. I find that the situations are assessed on tactics more so than fear. Don't worry, there is still a healthy dose of fear, but the mental attitude, the way I come at things, is really, really different now.

I'm glad.
Self Defense starts in the mind.
Don't walk out of the door and leave it open without knowing what's on the other side.