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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Intuition

Intuition: immediate insight or understanding without conscious reasoning; *instinct, inspiration, sixth sense; presentiment, premonition, foreboding.

This afternoon, while on a WALMART shopping trip, my intuition kicked in. I was in the cosmetics department.
I noticed a young man approx. 25 years old, wandering about and noticed he was watching someone. I stepped around the aisle and saw what he was watching: a young girl around 14.
I had noticed her when I entered the store. She was with her brother and Grandparents. They were walking in at the same time. She was slightly embarrassed to be with them. You can just tell. It's that awkward age. As we entered the store, she lit up and turned to ask Grandma something. Then she happily went in a different direction then her family.
When I saw her in the cosmetic aisle, she was engrossed in looking at all the make up. Picking eye shadows and such up. Reading the packages, and putting them back, picking up another items, and so on.
I know this routine. Been there done it. My girls have been there done it too. Much like my posting about the library, she had just entered her own "candy store".
Which brings me back to the "creeper". I gave him a couple of my Mom dirty looks. You know the look.. He would look away and move on. But to another aisle trying to continue his watch. He was antsy. Fidgety. He keep running his hand on the side of his lower belly...did he just handle himself looking at this little girl!! Now I am more than protectively hanging out in the same aisle with her. I am giving him death dagger stares daring him to approach! This has continued for 15 minutes.
Do I tell the girl what is going on? {She is clueless smelling perfumes now, completely in her own world} Do I wait around and continue to protect her? Look for Grandparents?
NO, DAMN IT! Where is an employee? I want this guys ass in trouble! Freaking Creeper!
I found an employee nearby and start to tell her what is going on. As I am talking to her, the Creeper is on his phone, watching us. Now he is joined by another shady character heading right for us. I'm like, " and here is the creeper right now!". The other guy introduces himself and Creeper boy as Loss Prevention Security. They show me and the employee their work ID.
Are you kidding me!!!
They apologize for scaring me. I said, "well, you were totally creeping on that little girl! I just had my Mom Intuition kick in and felt I needed to protect her. Seriously, she is just excited about looking at make-up. "
My heart is still pounding.
My favorite all time book is Gavin DeBecker's "The Gift of Fear". It is a book of Survival Signals that protect us from violence. He also wrote "Protecting the Gift", and "Fear Less". These books are wonderful in getting us back in tune with those intuitions, those little alarms that go off and yet we ignore. Getting us to LISTEN to the warnings, the signs and the gut feelings.
One of my favorite chapters says this: "Intuition is always learning, and though it may occasionally send a signal that turns out to be less than urgent, everything it communicates to you is meaningful. Unlike worry, it will not waste your time".
My intuition told me something wasn't right. I feared the girl could be in danger. Am I embarrassed that I was wrong, he wasn't a Creeper, but a store detective? Heck no! I am glad I went for help. I couldn't rest fearing, what happened? I hope she is okay. What if he was a creeper? What if tomorrow we were reading about another missing or molested child?
Nope, not on my watch! I did the right thing!

3 comments:

Natalie said...

I would have done the same thing.xx

Linda said...

I'm extremely intuitive and you did the right thing.

Lori ann said...

Good for you Janis. I'd much rather be wrong and trust my intuition.