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10/20/2012: "Awareness and projection, part 2"
We did a demonstration last night, at an annual Family Night event at a local installation, and spoke with a number of people - not only to explain what was being demonstrated, but also just about self-defense in general. When starting to discuss the importance of awareness, one woman said straight out that she doesn't notice anything that goes on.
Yikes. We advised that she start practicing awareness just in a normal, general sense - the "while you're waiting at the ATM" sort of awareness, or the "you're going to your car after work/shopping/etc." sort. Making yourself be conscious of what goes on around you then becomes a habit that you don't have to think about, so that it runs more as a background process.
Other contrasts: two women, both using canes. One was smaller and more elderly, and said straight out that she was a target, because of her age and physical limitations. The other - a bit taller and a little younger - was very aware of her surroundings and how she presented herself, and was not to be trifled with!
We always talk about how you carry yourself can make you a target - or lessen the chance of being one. Here's a very interesting video on just that (also found on our links page here in the blog).
Watching people at malls and at events like this is always enlightening...