THE OBSERVATION BOOTH
OP-ED / PHOTO CREDITS ANDREA DIALECT
For survival tactics, stay on them toes like a ballerina does. Grab naughty & hug em’ so tight that they pant for air. Even better, give them a welcome like you just set eyes on kin returning home from a year’s journey, and don’t ya take no for an answer! You’ll watch their plans go right out of the window. If not, you’ll have plenty of time to peep them out and/or do a quick dip. Be sure to wave goodbye during the getaway. I’m just saying. Lol!
(OBSERVANT – QUICK TO NOTICE THINGS.)
WHERE’S THEIR HEADS AT?
“What would you do if the person attempting to murder you in your home at that moment was your own child?” I asked my audience. Would you protect yourself, and how would you defend yourself if it meant the death for either of you? If you could have only seen the looks that donned those faces. The response I got was shocking. But their rebuttal goes beyond even that & darling, that’s another story! My response? “Be rational!”
YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS ONE
You will not believe what happened that evening during my stroll. So, there I was, walking and humming along, doing my usual me thing, when I spotted a car sitting on the corner. I give it a once over and a continuous glance back a few times before turning that corner.
When I get around the corner, I notice two people walking ahead. Both were moving at a somewhat slow pace. The guy stops short, bends down, and fiddles with his shoe. I noticed he hadn’t done anything to his shoe besides moving his fingers across them several times. How did I know? Because I was watching him.
As I passed, I said, “Heeeey!” He says, “Hey!” When in front of him as he’s getting up. As I looked back, I said, ” You alright?” He says, “Yeah!” I smile, and I smile again. Then, as I walked at a faster pace, I passed the woman who had been ahead of the both of us. I looked back several times afterward, and both were lagging quite a distance.
Shortly after, I heard a scream! The woman had been robbed at knifepoint by Mr. Mister. His getaway? The person in the car that was parked around the corner. The woman told me that she was okay. She said that she didn’t know that he was there. She said that she wished I had told her. “ME” I asked. (Mind you, this woman is around sixty, give or take.)
How do you walk around in today’s world with all that’s going on and not pay attention to what’s going on around you? I asked. When you walk, you should constantly look around you. When people approach from behind, either cross the street or stop and let them pass, depending on the circumstances. That being location, time, distance, if you are alone, if they are with someone or several others. Suppose it’s late, super early. No one in sight for miles, etc.!
We are way too desensitized to people being in our personal space. We can’t afford to listen to radios, talk on or finger our phone while walking, play that favorite game, look at pretty pics, or visit Lala Land today! It doesn’t matter if you’re coming in or leaving the house in the hood or the crib in suburbia. Going shopping or playin’ mama’s Pick It. WHATEVER!
Perhaps it was that “Hey,” you never know. Acknowledging people sometimes with a simple hello can be that get out of jail card or that lifesaver you never knew you had.” You alright? Plucked at the heartstrings, that smile and simple hello permitted me to make that glance personable and thorough (up, down, back, front, side to side!).
I’m praying for both of those guys. The one who took his fingers and swished them back and forth over his shoes just before they reached that woman’s neck. But God also help the guy who drove that car so they’d get away SADLY; I can’t imagine where they’re at right now. No, silly, not where they’re squatting at. WHERE THEIR HEADS ARE AT!
DO YA KNOW THAT?
(OBSERVANT – QUICK TO NOTICE THINGS.)
How many murders in the U.S. in 2022? 21,156.
How many criminal homicides were there in the U.S.? In 2022, there were 21,156 reported cases of murder or non-negligent manslaughter in the United States, a decrease from 22,536 cases reported in the previous year.
In 2022, about 442,754 women were raped or sexually assaulted in the U.S. – an increase from the previous year.
How common is child grooming? The CDC reports that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience child sexual abuse.
Of the 192,321 unique perpetrators in the data set, 89,028 (46%) were male and 103,293 (54%) were female. Figure 1 shows male perpetrators by their relationship to their victims. More than half of all male perpetrators (51%) were biological fathers.
Number of robberies in the United States in 2022, by weapon used
| Weapon used | Number of robberies |
| Personal Weapons | 42,900 |
| No Weapon/Force Involved | 19,085 |
| Firearm | 13,379 |
| Knife/Cutting Instrument | 11,797 (Google.com) |
The Observation Booth is utilized as a space for Andrea Dialect to stumble through, which aids in life and brand development. It can also be used by readers, subjects, and features to assist or advance our world or their own. It is a peek into one’s world from the outside. It is also for the development of content.
Everything printed here is in draft form; thus, error is welcomed and to be expected. Everything is constantly evolving, is her mantra. Seeing the work in printed format is the initial step and is quite valuable and therapeutic for developing all forms. Like Everything, Andrea Dialect uses this space as a test lab for test study and a test subject.
Here you will also find influencers, professionals, and muses who are considered “clay” who lend their image to change as doing us proud who are contributors to the upward progress of human progress. It is a platform for the growth, inspiration, motivation, and development of herself, her subjects, and her readers. Enjoy!
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