ribbons and robbers

Recently I've received emails and watched stories on the news warning women with children that men have been targeting them at my Wal-Mart (seriously, we've spent enough at this particular Wal-Mart over the years that I feel it is our Wal-Mart...we should have at the very least, partial ownership in it!). Apparently these men have been following moms around the store the entire time they shop and then follow them to their cars. The reason they pick mommy's? Moms get distracted while putting kiddos in the car and the men would come up behind them and mug them. If you know me well, you know I'm a bit of a worrier (just a little bit). So, anytime I hear that the safety of my family could be in jeopardy I am on full alert, almost rediculously so. Since the warnings have gone out (and I've actually heard from two people I know that have either had a friend or family member robbed here), I've gone so far as to leave my purse at home when going to this particular store and just take my keys, debit card and license with me when I go. I figure if no purse is visible, the bad guys will stay away...right? Darren thinks I am a total freak, but you know what, it's okay if it makes me feel better.

After hearing about Wal-Mart, I heard that these men were also hitting other stores within a half mile of that Wal-Mart. All stores that I frequent. So, for the reason I am posting about this... Today, I thought I'd take advantage of Darren being home and head to Hobby Lobby all by myself. Oh, that is paradise to me!! So, I went in and looked around for 45 minutes, putting things in my cart, taking things out of my cart, and on and on. I am indecisive, what can I say! Then I headed for the ribbon which is why I was there in the first place. I am making ragamuffin picture frames (I'll post a pic soon) and wanted to have some more variety in the ribbon department.

So, there I am looking at the ribbon which is in the fabric department and I notice there was an african american male in his late teens to early twenties hanging out in fabrics and always in very close proximity to me (I'm not sure how long he'd been there or if he'd been "shopping" with me all along as before I hit the ribbons I was all over the store and honestly not really paying attention to my surroundings...I was too busy talking myself out of buying the many things I really wanted to buy but knew I shouldn't buy to notice). It's always a little odd when men are in Hobby Lobby anyway, especially when not in the presence of a woman, but seriously, in the fabric department looking at the spools of ribbon? Hmmm, it did get my attention, but I thought to myself, how cute, maybe he is making a surprise for a girlfriend.

So, I've already discussed my trouble with making decisions....I was looking at ribbon for a full fifteen minutes and this guy never waivered. Oh, he picked up one ribbon and put it back and did this repeatedly. He put on a good show. I really started to wonder if something was up, but didn't want to overreact if he really is as into ribbon as much as I am. Who am I to judge?

I wasn't finished looking, but I had to get home for church so I headed toward the registers. I didn't turn around but didn't feel that the guy had followed me so I didn't give him any more thought. I saw someone I knew in line and chatted with her so I was likely distracted by that. I said goodbye to her and finished checking out. As I approached the exit of the store, there he was watching me like a hawk. He appeared to be waiting for someone. I quickly realized that I was who he was waiting on. He saw me and headed for the exit just as I did. I slowed a tad as I knew at this point he was Trouble and he wanted either me or my purse (see, I wasn't going to Wal-Mart and I was kid-free=in my mind it was safe to take my purse).

As I walked, it was clear he was trying to figure out which car I was heading to and his eyes were constantly on me, watching me in a very obvious way. At this point, I should have run back into the store. But, stupidly I didn't. I just locked eyes with him and stared him down and let him know I had my eyes on him and a very tight grip on my purse. I never took my eyes off of him and I picked up my pace and quickly walked further away from him and over to the lane my car was parked in and I hightailed it. I unlocked my car as I ran toward it and jumped in. The dude? He hopped in a black car with a driver already in it and they took off.

I have replayed the events of the afternoon over and over and I am so thankful. I truly believe the guy just wanted my purse but what if it would have been something more than that? I am so glad that I was the one who was followed and that God made me aware of my surroundings. Not that I won't ever have something bad happen to me, I know that I can be caught off guard at any given moment, but I am glad that I was kept safe today.

Tonight I started to feel angry and resentful as I thought about people will take the time to spend fifteen minutes looking at ribbon and fabric so they can follow unsuspecting women to their cars, snatch their purse and get easy money rather than earn a respectable living. I have a hard-working husband who works 10 hour shifts for 8 days straight and then is willing to work 3 of his 6 days off doing overtime or "extra jobs" so that I can stay at home with our boys. It makes me ill to think that there are people out there who just want to take what he (and so many others) works so hard for.

It makes me sick to my stomach and cracks me up all at the same time. Can you imagine how he aggravated this guy must've been getting with me. He picked the wrong gal if he wanted "quick" cash. I could look at ribbon all day long and then some. He must've really wanted whatever he thought I had. Boy would he have been disappointed. My purse is worth way more than any money he could ever find in my purse. See, the purse was a Christmas gift from Darren. I wouldn't ever be able to replace it. A stay at home mom to three boys married to a cop...yeah, that's not really who you want to rob when you're looking for cash. Yep, the more I think about it, it's probably a good thing he didn't get ahold of my purse, he surely would've been mad at all that time wasted in fabrics. Think of all that valuable time he could've been stalking someone else. Sad.

What a sick world we live in. Tonight I did the only thing that I know can make a difference in this man's life...I prayed for him. It's the only thing I can do.