Walking through a community isn’t necessarily suspicious

If I had a dog ... 

I wouldn’t have been stopped by the local security for being a suspicious-looking walker. Since I still work at a desk job all day long, I make it a point to get out for an extended walk at the end of the work day. A couple miles, an hour or 90 minutes out in the waning sun (right now in the winter), and a view of the sunset sky along with an audio book clears out any remnants of work-related matters.

But, walk through certain areas without a dog and you are suspicious. Who, in their right mind, goes walking when it’s below freezing outside? And why does he have a neck warmer covering his face? Maybe he wants to stay warm, and since he’s wearing a bright-orange shirt, maybe he’s trying to keep from getting hit while walking. Though, maybe that shirt is left over from his last stint in the slammer (ha). And why does he wave to everyone who drives by and greet any other walkers he sees? Very suspicious indeed.

There are such nice communities here, and walking through them gives an appreciation you’d never get otherwise. I get it, they are private, and the residents paid for the privilege of having that extra safety net of being private. To what end? It is in our nature to be wary of unknowns, but a person walking down the street without a dog isn’t suspicious. He could be just walking. Plus, if he’s wearing high-visibility clothes, it might mean he wants to be seen.

Before you knee-jerk react and call (Pot-Nets) security, give another look at the suspicious character. Maybe even wave to him. Who knows what could happen? Maybe he’s friendly and plays guitar and makes a joke that brings a smile. That’s a much nicer neighborly reaction than calling security.