by Nichole Grzych

Created on: June 25, 2008

As a poet working on becoming self published it is hard to make the right choices. When choosing where to go and what to do choices have to be made continuously. Personal experience with drivers on the road and businesses that me as a customer need to be dependent on have become a ghoulish nightmare of the real live awake sort.

I live in an area that is near the murder capital of the nation and have to be alert and aware at all times. However, businesses usually have safe and secure systems that allow a custumer to speed up and fly through their daily tasks so that they are kept safe from danger.

Recently, I had an experience that changed my choice on who and how to write my book. I was listening to a speaker on the radio about lethal injections and the death sentence. I made the choice to keep it on and not really pay much attention to what was being said.

In the large parking lot of the business I was headed for to create some things for my self published poetry book I realized a car appeared to be following close behind me. I did not know what to think but did turn down my radio and slowly park into a parking spot of my destination.

The car suprisingly halted to a stop right behind my car and the vehicle to the rear of my car had the window rolled down.

As I began to exit my vehicle I had to immediately make a choice. There was another woman of a different race in the vehicle. At this time I made the choice to be aware of our differences. It is very important in my mind to notice differences between individuals when in an awkward situation.

The woman blocking my vehicle began shouting rudely out the window that she pretty well was awfully sure that I was an idiot and that she stopped to make it a point that I knew that. I made the choice to very calmly ask her if I had did something wrong.

The woman blatantly told me that she thought about it and just wanted me to know that I was an idiot and wanted that clear in my mind and blood.

I do have to admit that it did anger me and not hurt me but I still with shaking hands and fists hidden I made the choice to be calm and state that I really do not know what I did but if she was so angry at me well maybe, yes, I am an idiot.

I had to repeatedly admit this to the woman over and over again to give her the satisfaction and assurance she was looking for. It was completely my decision to have compassion for the anger of this dark raced woman and pitily admit my readiness to be an idiot just so that she would kindly let me go on with my day.

The woman drove away with a phone in hand. I told the store who did not believe it and admitted that, no, they really have security in the parking lot and have never seen the woman there before.

It was my final decision to never go back to the store and take all of my business elsewhere. I no longer felt safe or even appreciated there.

I really do not feel it is safe for individuals and children to be in such environments.

I chose to further my own private not for profit business so that it will one day offer services to victims that are not making the decisions it takes to help them conquer the world in such ways to achieve their dreams and create better things after a not so great situation.

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