All the recent talk about the Virginia TV News crew getting shot today has prompted me to post this.
About 35 years ago I was sitting in a restaurant one evening and felt a hand on my shoulder from behind. An acquaintance had recognized me and walked over just to say hello. Moments after he left, it became painfully obvious to me that had that friendly touch on my shoulder been a gun, a knife or a claw hammer I would have been in serious trouble.
So, I came up with this friendly little game that my fellow officers and I started playing with each other. The object of the game is to not let anyone you know touch you or get within arm’s reach - in a public place - without you seeing them first. If they do, you owe the tagger a dollar. If you’re unarmed when you’re tagged, you owe them another dollar; payable on the spot.
The purpose in this exercise is to add some realism to the notion that being truly “aware” of what’s going on around you is a fairly tedious process until Condition Orange actually becomes a part of your consciousness.
Think about it; if someone you know can go undetected in your immediate proximity, how can you reasonably expect to see someone or something threatening in time to plant your feet anywhere meaningful in the reactionary curve?
I can tell you after three decades of play that the humbling reality is simply this; everyone gets “tagged” (liars excluded). The only question is, how often does it happen and are you getting better or worse at honing your awareness skills.
The tactical principle of "forewarned is forearmed" cannot be overstated and it begins with awareness.