Neighborhood Watch

If you ever decide to commit a crime, don't worry if I happen to be watching at the time. I have come to realize that I am quite possibly the lamest witness on the planet. A couple of mornings ago, I witnessed an attempted crime. I think it would even be accurate to say I interrupted and stopped the act. I am quite pleased with this. However, I am less happy with my ability to recall many specifics about the criminal.

It was early morning, just before 6am. I was just starting my first cup of coffee for the day and waiting for the newspaper. Some days, the paper is there when I first check at 5:45. Other days, it doesn't arrive until later. The paper wasn't there when I checked at 5:45 so I opened the blinds a little ways and settled down in an easy chair with a clear view of the driveway. I use a chair that's back in the corner of the room so the paper guy won't see me. I don't want to freak him out.

I waited and sipped my coffee. I used my ipod to check email and delete the daily deluge of semi-junk ones I get. Suddenly, a car pulled up quickly and parked in front of our house. My first thought was, "Hmm, the paper boy must have someone filling in for him. I don't recognize the car."

I watched as a guy got out of the car and headed around the rear of the vehicle. This was out of my line of sight and more in the direction of my neighbor's house. I began to wonder if maybe this was the paper boy (man really) for the other metro paper, which I believe my neighbor might prefer.

As I watched, the man came back into view. This time, he walked across the street to where I'd left our van parked. He began trying the doors. I realized that my neighbor had also left her car in the street and the guy had probably just been trying her doors.

I sprang into action and opened my front door with a flurry. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of confrontation and I was hoping he'd hear me and take off. He did. Startled, he looked up and gave me a quick little "Hi there" wave as he jumped in his car and sped off.

What kind of car was he driving? Not sure, I think it was brown or copper colored. It might have been a Pontiac. License plate? Yep, there was one on the car. I think it was in-state but I didn't catch much else. What was he wearing? I think he was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt.

I spent the day wrestling with the should haves. I should have crept out the front door and gotten a better look at the car and license plates. I should have grabbed the camera and shot a quick video of the perp in the act. I should have hopped in the car and followed the guy, possibly relaying information to the police along the way. Instead, I went back to my chair and continued waiting for the paper.

Stress

I went through a bit of a panic attack about a week ago. I have some impending deadlines at work and I started stressing because I couldn't see how I could possibly make them. Part of the problem was that the goal was still not fully defined. I found myself in a situation where I needed to have something completed by the end of the month but the something was still largely unknown. Since I couldn't actually work on the problem itself, I put all my energy into the one thing I could do: worry. I worried both day and night but the nights were definitely worse. I averaged a couple of hours of fitful sleep before waking and wondering how the upcoming days would play out. I developed a knot in the middle of my back that slowly crept up my neck, bringing a dull, throbbing headache. I was preoccupied and irritable. To their credit, my family understood my predicament and did not complain.

Last Friday, the fog thinned a little and the unknown became just a little more known. I was grateful for this glimpse for it gave me something worthwhile to focus my energy on. I worked late on Friday, processing every bit of the information I'd been given. Over the weekend, the knot loosened and the headache subsided.

Yesterday, more plans were solidified. Today, I got what I think is enough information to finish the task. The amount of work is mind-boggling. It will take a heroic effort and a lot of luck to make my deadline. Still, I don't feel nearly as awful as I did last week because now I know what I am facing and what I need to do.

I've always felt that the best scary movies are the ones that hide the monster from you. Nothing is quite as frightening as the unknown. Our imaginations are incredibly skilled at conjuring up demons beyond anything Hollywood's created. Once the lights are turned on and the creature is revealed we can begin to formulate a way to beat it.