Most of the time I go about my day-to-day life feeling perfectly safe and secure. Rarely, if ever, do I get spooked or feel that I am in any sort of danger. The other night I came home from work rather late. After having my dinner, I finished cleaning my kitchen and before I went to bed, I decided to take the trash out to the bin that I keep by the side of my house. Early the next morning when I was leaving for work, I got into my car and started to back out of my driveway. It was then that something on the side of the house caught my eye. I stopped the car and went over to investigate. I found a bicycle laying on its side that obviously was not there when I took the trash out the night before. This was clearly not something left behind by children at play. It was an expensive bike that clearly had been stolen and then stashed on the side of my house. It kind of gave me the chills because the area where it was left is just outside my bedroom window. I never heard a peep during the night even though some criminal element was just a few yards away from where I laid sleeping.
When I got into work that morning, I called the police and gave them a report. They came out and checked over my property and took the bicycle away after talking to the neighbors up and down my street. For the next several nights, I remained a bit on edge. Vigilant and attentive. Every time I heard even the slightest noise, real or imagined, I darted about the house furtively peeking out the windows. My heart rate increased noticeably as I strained to see any movement or activity in and among the shadows that cover my property. It is amazing how fragile my sense of security really is. What is interesting to me is that if they had never left the stolen bicycle behind, I would never have been aware of the trespass. Is it better to live in ignorance sometimes?
