Shattered Security

I stepped out of the house to go for coffee with a friend the other night. It was a mutually beneficial coffee break. I needed to step away from the Book Project and she was trying to pass some time. I would never have left the house if I didn't have a reason to walk out the door.

Thankfully, I did.

I walked outside and the sensor light at the back door did not turn on. I immediately turned around to go and check the switch to see if it had been turned off accidentally. But I knew, without a doubt, that hadn't happened. I checked the light bulbs instead.

Someone had loosened both of them.

Someone had walked into our yard, loosened our back door lights and set the scene for a 'return visit'.

My heart fell to my toes.

We could have been robbed. Worse yet, what if we were at home when it happened?

I do not live in fear but we do take precautions. The door is always locked, we set the alarm, we don't open the door unless we know who is there. And I feel safe.

That night, I thought I may never fall asleep (thank goodness for my inability to stay awake the moment I sit still). I left lights blazing and I kept my bedroom door open so I was on high alert.

I am seriously contemplating the idea of getting a dog. An interactive security system which cannot be tampered with by 'unscrewing a light bulb'.

It angers me that we live in a world where people violate other people's sense of security. How can they do that to another person?

A day passed and the sense of urgency waned. Perhaps our home was just 'one of many' targets and when it wasn't made easy they moved onto somewhere (someone) else. It is sad ...

I feel safe.

Sometimes ... I honestly feel like I have a guardian angel watching over me, my family and our home. It is a gift to feel cloaked in safety that isn't dependent on electricity, light bulbs or a monitoring system.

Maybe we won't get a dog after all.