It’s that wonderful time of year again.  Family, friends, egg nog, the smell of cinnamon on pine cones in the grocery store and the proverbial stress that comes along with it.  The streets are more crowded with vehicles; everyone is going shopping at the same time, at the same stores, extra long lines…

This is the time to “treat your neighbor, like yourself” as my 10-year-old daughter explained it to me.  It’s amazing how children simply view the world.  She told me this after we pulled over to help a man who crashed his truck into a ditch.  He went over the medium into our side of the freeway.  We ran over to help anyone who may have been injured and to make sure they shut off the engine.  So here is the theme for this blog entry.  Treat the people around you the way you would want to be treated.  Sure it sounds simple, but do you really do it?  Are you sitting on a plane or bus hoping nobody gets the seat next to you?  Do you hold the newspaper up covering your face, so you don’t have to make eye contact?  Guess what?  Everyone on that bus or plane has the same goal in mind as you do…  They just want to sit down.

You might ask, “How does this fit into self-defense”?  I’m glad you asked, let me explain.  Self-Defense starts with a mental mindset, not techniques.  Stand up tall when you walk.  Look people in the eye as they cross your path.  Smile at them when you make eye contact.  You might go as far as to say, “Hi, how is your day?”.  Awareness of your surroundings and confidence will throw most predators off, they want an easier target.

These are just some simple suggestions to make yourself less presentable as a target and you can embrace the holiday season at the same time by “treating your neighbor, like yourself”.