Thanks for all your prayers and concerns. Fortunately, my son has a full life and isn't dwelling on this. I do believe it will make him more aware of his surroundings when he is out at night which is a good thing.

When I was in fifth grade a man tried to get me in the car with him. I took off running, arrived home, mom called the police, they arrived and told us the man was a suspect in other abductions. In fact, my good friend had gotten in the car with him the week before while on the way home from my house. No one knew. Her mother didn't call my mother. She didn't tell me. Nothing. It was the sixties and I guess we didn't talk aobut stuff like that. Stupid. The only hint may have been the principal's announcement to be careful while walking home...and stay away from strangers. That's a far cry from learning my friend had gotten in the car with the guy while he drove her all around town and put his hand under her shirt. Poor thing! We both had to view creepy lineups at the police department. To this day the flag still goes up when people stop to ask directions, or walk behind me.

[ January 16, 2005, 06:40 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

Dots,
That situation when you were small is so frithgening. How awful. Thank heaven you had enough sense to run home.

Kids are so invincible. Your son is probably unfazed by the whole incident. Though being concerned is certainly appropriate, I just hope you are not overly worried.

You're still in my prayers.
smile

And if he's hanging in the window, my Dad told me, drag him all the way in before you shoot, not when he's running away from you or you'll be charged .
Chatty, I'm with you. Better to have 12 judge me than 6 carry me.
I wonder if the law allows me to carry a "self defense weapon" in my car?

chickadee

[ January 16, 2005, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

I didn't think I'd be back to this post so soon, but we got the news shortly after I posted here.

My step-sons (who are with me right now) Mom's best friend,48,was found face down in her bathtub,yesterday evening, apparently murdered. She lived alone and always kept her door locked.
I just don't know...

chickadee

chick, how tragic. My gracious. How well did your sons know her?

[ January 17, 2005, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

Good Lord, that poor woman, see what I mean? People poo hoo having guns but maybe if they had one at least they could defend themselves or their children. If the gun is in plain sight on the seat in your car thats okay, its not considered a concealed weapon....If you ladies are afraid of guns when your out at night keep a box cutter, they're small and very sharp in your hand when walking to or from anywhere. If a perp grabs you use it on whatever part of his anatomy you can reach, cut hard and deep and run like crazy. Hopefully he'll bleed to death but at any rate be easier to catch when looking for medical help......

Hi,
After reading all the posts all I can think of is Oh My Gosh. Will be praying for all of you.
Chickadee how are your stepsons doing?
Dotsie, hope you are doing better by now.
Maggie

Thank you all for asking, I believe they are doing Ok. I think they are feeling sad for their dear Mom. I am praying for them and her often.

Any news on the culprits your way Dotsie?

chickadee

Dotsie, thank God things turned out okay for your son. I know as a mother you can't help but think of the "what ifs."

I can relate to your story about when you were a young girl. When I was in grammar school, studying for a church ritual, the nuns at the Catholic Church told us if we went to church the first Thursday of every month for a year, we were guaranteed to go to Heaven. Being so young and innocent, I thought I would do that, because, boy, I wanted to be guaranteed to go to Heaven! So every first Thursday, me and a friend would get up very early and walk to church, carrying our school books to go to school right afterwards. I can only imagine now how early that must have been for us to attend a full mass before school even started. Geez!

In any event, one particular morning, my friend could not attend, so I went alone. As I was walking the 6-10 blocks to church alone, I notice a car following rather slowly. Every time there was a space near the curb, he would cruise along the curb. When a car was in the way, he would move out. This went on for blocks and being as young as I was, I knew something was wrong, but wasn't sure of what. As I approached the corner to cross the street to the church, the man swung his car in front of me making a turn. I looked in and saw his hand moving, although being so young, I hadn't a clue as to what he was doing.

Dummy me goes to church and sees that I am late. I don't want the nuns to be mad at me, so I leave. I was fine the whole walk home until a block before my house. All of a sudden, the car appeared again and raced across the road in front of me. It frightened me so and I ran as fast as I could. Although I did a lot of dumb things that morning, I had the presence of mind not to go into my own house as I did not want this man to know where I lived. Instead, I went into my friend's house and stayed there.

Finally, I got home and told my parents. When my mother asked me what the man was doing, I showed her an up and down motion. She was horrified! It took me until my teen years to figure out what he was doing.

The police came, and I think they eventually found the man. In any event, it is something I have never forgotten. And I have always, to this day, thanked God for protecting me in my innocence. Needless to say, I never did the morning mass thing any more. In fact, I don't even go to a Catholic Church anymore preferring a Unity church instead.

Chickadee...what a horrible thing to happen. How sad and tragic. I can only imagine how everyone is feeling and my heartfelt prayers go out to all.

Lookingup, I have to laugh becasue being the good little Catholic school girl that I was, I wouldn't have known what he was doing either. We were so sheltered...and I'm not so sure that was a bad thing.

I think any time something like this happens to us we become more aware of our surroundings. In this day and age we need that awareness.

The guys still haven't been caught. The police have called my son to ask a few more questions, but that's all we know at this point.

[ January 19, 2005, 05:44 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]