Answer to the child abduction comment

Of course, it upset me at the time.  And in fact, I had a battle with agrophobia after my father died.  Of course, before cellphones I never went anywhere without someone knowing where I was going and when I was expected back.  Before cellphones I also didn’t go anywhere without a handitalkie and without radio equipment in the car.

Now I don’t go anywhere without a cell phone.  I still have the ham radio equipment but don’t carry it as rabidly as I did.

It was very empowering though.  Even before I went through the police academy, I knew I could take on anyone, and am even worse after.  I will say, that I felt safest when I had my GSD, and really miss her.  I’d like to have another companion like her again someday though she did scare my husband a few times when he came in too late.  She was acceptally well trained — I was very lucky as one of my police friends was working at a local university for a while and she and I used to go on patrol with him. 

I said something about it at school the other day, and now wish I hadn’t because one of our other teachers told that she had been raped by an acquintance when she was about the same age.  My experience was empowering, hers was directly the opposite.