When I first came to Philly in 2004 (I know I make it sound like Im about to say like 1914 or something), I was terrified. Id never lived in a big city before. I was at University and we were being briefed by a security guard about the dangers of city life, and whats lurking around the corner. I knew enough to grab some pepper spray to attach to my key chain just in case. (the only time it was ever used was when my cousin decided to test it while driving down Coastal Highway in Ocean City, MD.)
In any case, the first week I never left my apartment but to go to class. I was so afraid of gangs, violence, serial loonies, theives, druggies that I freaked out about the way I looked for fear of being mistaken for a rival gang member. So I tried to think to myself, bloods/crips, which is more prevalent here? Well, wait, what if a Blood is vacationing and sees me in blue? Blue is my favorite color, and my birth stone color but that wouldnt matter to him or her. I thought to wear black, but didnt want to appear Goth. Wasnt there some safety rule I heard about wearing a lot of colors so as to not play favorites? I stepped out of my apartment for class first day looking like a bag of skittles. I wore one shirt that seemed to have every single color in the world in it (like some tye-dyed disaster by Stevie Wonder himself).
Weeks went on, my safety precautions became lax. I'd come and go from the library at all hours of the night, content that my building had three stationed officers at all times. Then, 6 weeks into the semester a student from our university was murdered right infront of the grocery store I shopped at. As a matter of fact, I had thought to go to the store that same time but something held me back. Then there was the serial rapist on the loose, who had attacked someone mere blocks from my apartment. How about the time I was in the middle of South Philly at 3am calling a cab to come pick us up?
Nothing happens to us when we're careful. It happens that one day when, on autopilot, we just simply forgot to lock the door, or double check to make sure the stove was turned off.
Here's a picture of the Liberty Bell that I saw for the very first time. Thanks to Aneesah, my tour guide! xoxo
1 comment:
A professor in college told us once in a lecture on information security that "locks keep honest people out." I don't remember a thing about information security from that discussion, but that was the one thing I got out of it :}
The general rule I like to follow is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We do what we can and leave the rest up to Allah (swt). Insha'Allah if we remember that we will never scare easily or buckle under pressure.
We're all living here but a few years in this alien world. As long as we don't get attached to it, we won't have much to worry about. Attachment to this world is what leads us to fearing it.
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