We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7

Monday, April 29, 2013

Thursday Night Smackdown in the Wal-Mart Parking Lot



Last week, I witnessed a woman beating a small child in a parking lot.

I did not do anything.  Neither did any of the other half dozen or so witnesses, including a male employee of the store who was in the parking lot.

There was another person with the woman, and the woman, quite frankly, scared me.  She was screaming loudly; using profane language pointedly at the child.  I have never seen such a public display in all my life, and I felt useless and frozen.

I am telling you this, because if I could go back, there are certain things I would do, and I plan on doing, to prepare myself just in case I am ever in a similar situation.  Perhaps these ideas will also help you prepare.

1.      Carry paper and a pen in your car within easy reach all the time.  DO NOT rely on your phone to input all your data.  You may need your phone at the same time as you are writing.  In my case, once I kicked into gear, I found myself frantically grabbing a pen and writing the license number on my arm as I was driving, following the car, and calling the police.
2.       Remember that most large stores have security guards.  I think that if I had acted, I could have gotten a guard there on time.  Or at least asked the employee to go get the guard.
3.       Be a detective.  Save the emotions for later.  The best thing I can do to help the child—and the adult (who obviously needs help, too)—is to remain calm and to notice things.  When I called the police and child protective services, they asked questions.  It was embarrassing how many simple questions I could not answer simply because I had been too emotional to observe them.
4.       Of all the things I regret, I do not know why I did not surreptitiously video this interaction with my phone.  It may sound horrible, but in this society, evidence is KING.  If I want to help a child, the best thing I can do is SHOW PROOF of abuse.
5.       A bunch of individuals are much less likely to intervene than a unit.  Go to others near you and solicit their help.  In group dynamics, someone has to start the chain.  That “someone” may as well be me.  Not too long ago, I had a seizure in a crowded parking lot.  I was half-hanging out of my car door, and I could see people getting in and out of their cars in the spots near me.  I was paralyzed, and nobody helped.  I was “someone else’s problem”.

If I could do it over, I would like to think that I would have the bravery and sneakiness to first video enough to prove what was going on, then put my phone safely in the trunk of my car before going over and trying to keep that little girl safe—not by being confrontational, but by trying to help the woman calm down.

I probably would have gotten my butt kicked, because even though I have started to lift weights, it has only reinforced the truth that I have the upper-body strength of an infant.  Although I do appear to have freakishly strong thighs, I cannot fathom the usefulness of this strength unless I could possibly get someone’s head in some sort of anaconda-grip with my thighs…

But I digress…

I have created these tables of items that seem to be important to those I have communicated with.  It doesn’t matter if you can’t fill them out all the way, or even be specific.  If you know a person’s height compared to the vehicle or a nearby object; that can still be useful.  

I plan on printing them out and keeping them in my car just in case…

The vehicle information would also be useful for accidents or other motor vehicle incidents, I think.
I just know that if I’d had a plan and a paper, I could have been filling out useful information instead of standing next to my car and crying while all this happened.

It rips me apart knowing that there is a little girl out there who needs love and affection, and I may have missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime to turn her world around.  I am doing my best to be better prepared so that if I am ever in this situation again, I can do whatever I can to care for a little child in need.

Description of Adult 1:
Male/Female
Name_______________________
Age_________________________
Height______________________
Weight______________________
Skin Color____________________
Hair Color____________________
Hair Length/Style______________
Eye Color____________________
Wearing glasses/hat/jewelry?___
____________________________
Voice(accent?)________________
Clothing: 
Dress/Casual/Athletic
Shirt Type/Color______________
Pants Type/Color______________
Shoes_______________________
Other identifying markers (scars, tattoos, birthmarks, facial hair?)
____________________________
____________________________
Description of Adult 2:
Male/Female
Name_______________________
Age_________________________
Height______________________
Weight______________________
Skin Color____________________
Hair Color____________________
Hair Length/Style______________
Eye Color____________________
Wearing glasses/hat/jewelry?____
____________________________
Voice(accent?)________________
Clothing: 
Dress/Casual/Athletic
Shirt Type/Color______________
Pants Type/Color______________
Shoes_______________________
Other identifying markers (scars, tattoos, birthmarks, facial hair?)
____________________________
____________________________
Description of Child 1:
Boy/Girl
Name_______________________
Age_________________________
Height_______________________
Weight______________________
Skin Color____________________
Hair Color____________________
Hair Length/Style______________
Eye Color____________________
Wearing glasses/hat/jewelry?____
____________________________
Clothing:  Dress/Casual/Athletic/Pajamas
Shirt Type/Color_______________
Pants Type/Color______________
Shoes_______________________
Other identifying markers (pacifiers, toys, etc.)

____________________________
Description of Child 2:
Boy/Girl
Name_______________________
Age_________________________
Height_______________________
Weight______________________
Skin Color____________________
Hair Color____________________
Hair Length/Style______________
Eye Color____________________
Wearing glasses/hat/jewelry?____
____________________________
Clothing:  Dress/Casual/Athletic/Pajamas
Shirt Type/Color_______________
Pants Type/Color______________
Shoes_______________________
Other identifying markers (pacifiers, toys, etc.)

____________________________

VEHICLE
Van        SUV       Sedan       Truck       Other___________
Brand and Model_______________________________
License Number________________________________
License State and County, any other identifiers on plate_____________
__________________________________________________________
Color_________________________
Special Markings or Dents_____________________________________
Tinted Windows?       Yes       No
Bumper Stickers?____________________________________________

VEHICLE
Van        SUV       Sedan       Truck       Other___________
Brand and Model_______________________________
License Number________________________________
License State and County, any other identifiers on plate_____________
__________________________________________________________
Color_________________________
Special Markings or Dents_____________________________________
Tinted Windows?       Yes       No
Bumper Stickers?____________________________________________

VEHICLE
Van        SUV       Sedan       Truck       Other___________
Brand and Model_______________________________
License Number________________________________
License State and County, any other identifiers on plate_____________
__________________________________________________________
Color_________________________
Special Markings or Dents_____________________________________
Tinted Windows?       Yes       No
Bumper Stickers?____________________________________________


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