Staying safe: Real life vs. Internet

Be aware. Be alert.

adjective: aware

having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.

adjective: alert; 

quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances; vigilant.
noun: alert
the state of being watchful for possible danger.
verb: alert

warn (someone) of a danger, threat, or problem, typically with the intention of having it avoided or dealt with.

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From every bad story I've heard, and every bad thing I've experienced, the bad or dangerous thing happened because the person it happened to was not paying attention.

This is the main problem that happens to us as human beings.  We get into habits and routine, and we just expect that because we've been safe every day before this point that we will be safe every day after this point. And you know what, sometimes that's the case. There have been people who have lived their lives carelessly and nothing bad ever happened to them. All I can say is that these people are either very blessed, very lucky, or they are less careless than they put on.

One thing my dad taught me, when we were having "ninja training" (a.k.a basic survival skills in an emergency lessons), is that you need to always be aware of the world around you.

I don't care where you are, you could be out in the world, you could be sitting in your back-yard, you could be sitting on your couch in a house that is perfectly safe, you need to be aware to the room/environment around you.

For example, even as I am writing this, I am aware of my dad talking on the phone in the other room. I can guess that my brother is on his computer like he usually is, my mother is in her office writing, my Dalmatian Blue is with my mom, and my nana is on her computer in her room. I know we're safe, and that nothing will ever happen, but I'm aware of what's going on around me.

When I went to church today, I constantly looked around me. I knew who was in each room with me,  and I knew that I could trust them enough to know nothing bad was going to happen.

I don't care where I am, or what I am doing, I am always aware of the people and things around me.

So how do I do it?  When I was younger and I was still being taught how to stay safe, I wasn't good at it. My parent's had to constantly pull me out of the way of cars and stop me from walking into people.  But I've learned some things since then, tips and tricks that help me stay safe.

So I'll just list some of them here.

1. Look around you. My peripheral vision isn't so good, and so I've learned to look around me and just make sure that every so often I'm seeing everything around me. This may seem odd, and I'm sure it might be ridiculous when people see me scanning an empty room and once in a while checking behind furniture and under my bed.  But, this method really is effective and it's gotten me out of trouble before.

2. Keep an ear unplugged!      This is one is SO important. Imagine you're walking down the street, and you've got your head/ear-phones on, your music is playing full blast. Because you're thinking about music, and not paying attention to your surroundings,  you don't hear the car stop next to you or the person getting out. And you don't realize anything bad is happening until someone has a gun to your face and it's far, far, too late for you to try and run away. 

           Basically, if you're listening to music while you're out in public (including your backyard, or anywhere outside of a house that is locked with closed/locked windows), only cover one of your ears, and keep it quiet enough you can hear everything around you. Don't get so into your music that you're being distracted from your surroundings...it never ends well.  (As a side note, even if you don't get abducted, you could run into people and or miss out on the beautiful sounds of life...just saying...)

3.  Overconfidence killed an army!    Don't be too confident in your surroundings that you don't keep yourself aware and alert. Even in your backward there could be dangerous situations that happens. Someone could hop the fence, (if there isn't one then it would be even easier for them), or there could be poisonous or otherwise unpleasant animals/bugs or plants. Something bad can always happen wherever you are, so be on guard. Don't get over-confident and be alert and you'll be as safe as you can be.

That's it for now, though I'll try to update this as much as possible. (My goal is everyday.)