something can happen in the blink of an eye in places you would never expect. people always need to be aware of their surroundings, even in places that they believe are "safe."
a couple days ago i was shopping alone at Goodwill a few towns over. i was followed throughout the store by a man. he even waited outside the fitting room while i was changing. i immediately felt strange because i've been following Mollie's case and the town i was in has had problems recently with human trafficking. i sent my friends and family my current location and proceeded to check out. the man realized i was about to leave the store so he quickly ran out the door without buying a single item. he was in the store for as long as i was, which was about an hour. i felt especially uneasy because i had to walk out to my car alone. i asked the cashier if she could walk me out to my car and explained the situation to her. she said there have been problems in this area with men following girls.
if this happened to me a year ago, i would have never even realized the man because i ALWAYS used to go to public places with my eyes glued to my phone. i never was aware of my surroundings. sadly, the rise of human trafficking has opened my eyes and i am always looking around and being cautious. and of course because of Mollie's disappearance. if i didn't ask for help i don't know what would have happened. this man could have just been a coincidentally suspicious looking customer who had no bad intentions. it's way better to be safe than sorry, IMO.
i really wish people were more educated about staying alert and speaking up in situations where they feel uneasy. i see SO many people walking alone with their phones and headphones blaring music. i run frequently around my small town, and i no longer use headphones for that reason. never thought something like that would happen to me, and i really wish people were more aware of this problem.
