[Mostly] Imagined Perils of Nights Alone
I have an assistant at work. Today he casually asked me if I had any concerns related to my safety, and living alone. I don’t tell my assist everything about myself, so he does not know that I “live alone” only about three days a week. The other four days I either have my boyfriend over for the night, or I’m staying at his place. But that still leaves three nights a week.
Five years ago, when I graduated from college and first lived on my own, I lived alone for about two months. Then I moved in with my then-boyfriend. We lived together for about three and a half years. A year or so ago we broke up. Since then I have had my own residence, though my current boyfriend is a frequent overnight guest. So if my math is correct, I have in some sense lived alone for about a year and a half, total, my entire life. I guess the truth is; I've never gotten completely used to it.
So, to answer my work assistant’s question, from time to time living alone does worry me. And I reside in a nice, suburban neighborhood. But during any of those three nights a week that I spend alone at my place, any idiot with two eyes could ascertain that a girl is alone in my condominium. A person could simply watch me get out of my car, enter my condo’s front door, and then see that one of my two assigned parking spots has remained vacant for the evening.
I am certainly no loner, but I do enjoy the occasional evening by myself. I might pop a bowl of buttered popcorn, pour a glass of pinot noir wine, and turn-on unwatched episodes of [I]Modern Family[/I] and [I]30 Rock[/I] that I have recorded on my DVR. However when my day is done and I am lying alone in bed, I can sometimes hear ominous noises. These are ordinary sounds in the daytime, but ominous noises when I am all by myself in a dark bedroom.
To feel more secure, I have considered buying a handgun. But the idea of having a handgun at arm’s length actually makes me feel [I]less [/I]secure. Even with proper instruction I’m sure I would be more likely to shoot myself in the foot rather than stave-off some intruder. When all is said and done, innocent beings such as my boyfriend, a neighbor, or a passing cat, would be more likely to take a bullet rather than some trespassing ne’er-do-well. No, the handgun is not a good idea.
I think my best course of action is before I turn-in for the night, make sure all my windows are closed and secured, make certain that my two doors’ deadbolts are latched, and keep a phone nearby, just in case. I have heard the saying; [I]there is nothing there in the dark that isn’t there in the light[/I]. I’m sorry but there are evenings when I simply cannot convince myself of that.
Five years ago, when I graduated from college and first lived on my own, I lived alone for about two months. Then I moved in with my then-boyfriend. We lived together for about three and a half years. A year or so ago we broke up. Since then I have had my own residence, though my current boyfriend is a frequent overnight guest. So if my math is correct, I have in some sense lived alone for about a year and a half, total, my entire life. I guess the truth is; I've never gotten completely used to it.
So, to answer my work assistant’s question, from time to time living alone does worry me. And I reside in a nice, suburban neighborhood. But during any of those three nights a week that I spend alone at my place, any idiot with two eyes could ascertain that a girl is alone in my condominium. A person could simply watch me get out of my car, enter my condo’s front door, and then see that one of my two assigned parking spots has remained vacant for the evening.
I am certainly no loner, but I do enjoy the occasional evening by myself. I might pop a bowl of buttered popcorn, pour a glass of pinot noir wine, and turn-on unwatched episodes of [I]Modern Family[/I] and [I]30 Rock[/I] that I have recorded on my DVR. However when my day is done and I am lying alone in bed, I can sometimes hear ominous noises. These are ordinary sounds in the daytime, but ominous noises when I am all by myself in a dark bedroom.
To feel more secure, I have considered buying a handgun. But the idea of having a handgun at arm’s length actually makes me feel [I]less [/I]secure. Even with proper instruction I’m sure I would be more likely to shoot myself in the foot rather than stave-off some intruder. When all is said and done, innocent beings such as my boyfriend, a neighbor, or a passing cat, would be more likely to take a bullet rather than some trespassing ne’er-do-well. No, the handgun is not a good idea.
I think my best course of action is before I turn-in for the night, make sure all my windows are closed and secured, make certain that my two doors’ deadbolts are latched, and keep a phone nearby, just in case. I have heard the saying; [I]there is nothing there in the dark that isn’t there in the light[/I]. I’m sorry but there are evenings when I simply cannot convince myself of that.
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