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Modern life has its luxuries, but danger can be lurking just beyond our everyday liberty and comfort. Sometimes being at the wrong place at the wrong time can lead to a potential disaster. George Dyson’s day off started well enough. He exited his apartment, taking his gray white pitbull mix, Max, for a walk. Max’s face was sweet and lovable, a puppyish body language played over the marvelous creature as it wagged its but excitedly. There was nothing Max liked better than a brisk walk with his owner. The sites and smells enticed him to wander and explore, but George handled the leash well enough and was able to keep him from getting into mischief.

Time doesn’t stand still for anyone, and change can make life a prospective field of hazards for the unwary. One should take time from daydreaming of the past in order to be mindful in the present.

Old Martha Franklin had worked hard her entire life, and with the death of her dear husband some twenty years back she clung to independence as twilight descended. Martha worked for forty years at the local cigar factory, rolling cigars and chatting with the nice ladies she worked with, the decades had flowed by like water. With her children gone on to have children of their own, she fondly recalled a wheel of seasons, holidays, celebrations, and dreams all neat and orderly, everyone of them a snow globe of tenderness she kept turning over in her heart of hearts.

A free market offers the consumer a variety of purchases, but with every legal transaction there are criminal minds seeking to take advantage of money changing hands. Julia Becker was popular ever since she could remember, being an active student in high school and college, as well as a key member of her real estate team where she made a good commission. After a hard week’s work, she loved to get together with her besties, normally going bowling, clubbing, or out to an EDM show when someone ill was spinning. DJ Cashola cut some awesome tracks, and they had no cover for ladies at the spot she frequented. Sometimes Julia just wanted to chill at home and relax, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t hang with the gang anyway.

Everyone has a favorite thing they like to do, and some of us take every opportunity to go out seeking it. During a critical moment of such personal revelry people can sometimes forget to be mindful of their surroundings. Nick Butkus loves music and could play guitar proficiently, always jamming with friends or alone when the day was winding down. He had been in half a dozen bands during high school and college, always dreaming that one day he would cut a demo and make it big. The fantasy of being signed and going on tour drove him to excellence, and even when the whole thing never panned out he still kept dreaming.

Having a routine is important for a smooth and functional life but sometimes it can be detrimental to our safety when we fail to pay attention to those who are paying attention to us. A situation that occurs to almost every woman is one similar to our fictional character of Nancy. Nancy loves to jog at a state park every morning before work. She enjoys running at this particular park because it’s clean and there aren’t many people there in the mornings. She feels safe and although she is a cautious person she doesn’t worry about the blue truck she sees almost every morning around the same time, assuming it’s a park worker or maintenance truck.

Danger can arise in many forms, and sometimes in seemingly innocuous ways. An unattended bag can be the result of someone’s forgetfulness on a train, or it could be something more sinister. Take, for example, the situation of Curtis Hortenski. Curtis arrived on the subway platform of the A-train around 7:08 that morning. He always arrived at the same time, every morning, Monday through Friday to catch the train to the office. He checked his watch. The 7:10 would be along shortly. The whistle blew through the station, and the silver bullet whooshed past him. The train stopped, the doors opened, and Curtis joined the throngs of commuters piling into the car.

What do tragedies like Columbine, Mandalay Bay, Parkland, Walmart, Fort Hood, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, all have in common? They could have been prevented! AND every victim though “it won’t happen to me!” From bullying, to mass murders, personal safety skills can make all the difference in how you identify and react to a threatening situation. By taking our family-friendly course, both you and your loved ones can receive the skills you need to be safer and more secure.

Guns, guards, cameras, and fences will make us feel SAFE, BUT it is your instincts and heightened situational awareness skills that will likely save your life or that of a loved one.