By Carol A. Cates, MSN, MBA, RN
Chief Nursing Officer
Odessa Regional Medical Center
When my daughter was an infant, we lived in the Houston area. We weren’t there long, but two things happened during that time that permanently changed how I look at the world.
The first was a parent who left their car running with their infant inside while they stepped into a convenience store. In those few minutes, the car was stolen and the infant kidnapped. The perpetrator left the baby in an open field and the baby died before they were found.
In the other, a friend from childhood, who also lived in the Houston area at the time and had gone out to run and was kidnapped and raped. She was released, but she carries the scars both physical and mental to this day. Both of those things happened in Houston, but they are not unique to Houston.
This time, it was a runner in Memphis who was kidnapped and tragically murdered. The reality is these can happen anywhere and to anyone.
These crimes are not limited to big cities, they can happen in small towns, too. It sometimes seems it is a women’s issue, but men get attacked, kidnapped, and murdered as well.
What I decided many years ago in Houston, is that the bad things are going to happen, and ignoring or running away from the possibility will only make me more vulnerable. The best way to protect myself and protect the ones I love is to be alert, and to be prepared. I am hoping that is the lesson we all take away from the tragic events in Memphis as well. Not to stop our lives, but to do the things we want to do out in the world in a safe and prepared way.
The first step to keeping yourself safe is to be aware of your surroundings. The University of Washington’s School of Medicine states “situational awareness is the key to all of this”. They recommend always looking around and being aware of what is happening near you. That awareness can help you notice things like sudden movements or things out of place. They highly recommend if something makes you uncomfortable, go back to a safe place and get someone to walk with you or wait until you can move more safely. Don’t use your cell phone or have on headphones when you are walking or running. It cuts down on your awareness and can make more attractive to thieves.
If you are approached, try to de-escalate the situation if possible. If someone asks for money or other valuables, give it to them. Don’t engage if they want to fight, even if it is insulting or rude. The goal is to leave the situation without having to fight or risk injury.
If you think someone is following you, return to where you came from and get help. If you cannot, try to maintain as much distance as you can from the other person, and make sure you let them know you are aware they are there. That often will make the other person back down. Call 911 if you can and go to a public area with a lot of traffic. Police and fire stations are also excellent places to go for help if there is one nearby. Keep objects between you and the other person if you can, and don’t get backed up into a wall or a space where you cannot exit in another direction.
Don’t worry about dignity or decorum if you are afraid for your personal safety. Take off high heels and any other items that might restrict your ability to run. Keep your car keys in your hand when walking and use the panic button if you can to draw attention. Make noise—lots of noise.
If you can’t de-escalate or run, be prepared to fight. Basic principles for fighting are not difficult to learn, and like with most things, they do get better with practice. There are multiple resources available online for self-defense basics from videos to posters that you can do on your own. But the best resource for self-defense basics is a live course, you can also find those online through many organizations. If you chose to carry a weapon, know how to use it and practice regularly so you don’t accidentally hurt yourself or an innocent bystander.
In honor the memory of Eliza Fletcher, the runner who lost her life in Memphis, and to create awareness and support our local runners in their ability to go out and run safely, the West Texas Gazelles of Odessa, a local running group, in collaboration with Connections Christian Church, is sponsoring a run and self-defense training session on September 21st at 6 a.m. in the parking lot of the Human Performance Center on the UTPB campus. This session is open to the public, both men and women of any age and any fitness level. It will start with a self-defense session taught by Dr. Javier Morales, a local optometrist and runner, and end with runs and walks of several distances on the UTPB campus. I wanted to say a big thank you to all those sponsoring for hosting this much needed event. Please consider attending if you can.
