Today started off as a regular normal training day and ended with me being a little more cautious and aware of my surroundings.

After training, I decided to head to the Inner Harbor and stop at H&M because I had a coupon I wanted to use before it expired. It was a really nice day out, so I figured why not?

I went to H&M and picked up this cute bag.

Then I headed over to Urban Outfitters to pick up some new tights. I wanted to stay at the harbor a while longer and walk around, however there were a lot of young people hanging around and since I was by myself, I made the wise decision to head on home.

Now if there’s one thing about me and riding public transportation it’s that I DO NOT like people standing too close to me. If I’m standing, waiting for the light rail and you come and stand next to me, I WILL walk away.

With that being said, while I was sitting on the bench waiting for the train, I noticed a young man with a ski mask on standing right behind me. I mean he was literally in my personal space and mind you I did have my H&M and Urban Outfitters shopping bags in my hand.

A few minutes later, the same young guy stands next to me and we instantly make eye contact. Something about his behavior rubbed me the wrong way and my inner survival instincts kicked in and told me to put my shopping bags in my larger purse I carry.

Less than five minutes later, a lady standing on the other side of the bench from me screams. Apparently the same young guy, that probably was going to steal my shopping bags, stole her iPhone.

I saw him running away and it felt so surreal. I kept thinking, “wow, that could have been me.” If it weren’t for the fact that my phone had just died and I put it away or me putting my shopping bags in my larger purse, I would’ve been short the $40 worth of merchandise I just bought and my phone.

In addition to that incident, I met a young women at the light rail stop from Connecticut who lived 20 minutes away from the Newton shootings. Not that those shootings have anything to do with the guy who stole the lady’s phone, but it was all an eye-opener.

There are too many violent crimes, accidents, and deaths happening all around for us to be naive in our daily activities. Whether you’re walking to your car, filling up your gas tank, or driving in a neighborhood that’s unfamiliar to you, be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to who’s standing next to you and walking behind you.

I guess I’m writing all of this to say that we all need to B’More Careful.

P.S. Am I the only one who plays out incidents, like getting into a car accident or getting robbed, in their head to plan a justifiable reaction? I always imagined me running after somebody who stole my purse. But after today knowing Baltimore guys, I would’ve chased the guy to his car, where he would’ve pulled a gun out on me and then I would be in the hospital fighting for my life over a few things that could have easily been replaced.

This really made me put my life into perspective and think about what I personally find valuable.