The other day I was training home after having a glass of wine with a friend-
It was dark out by now, and though I'm not consciously fearful of the train and their platforms,
tonight felt eerie as the wind rustled up the leaves and the faint sounds of a heated argument began to emerge from the surrounding area.
I had made my way to the Sunnyside station, and sat on a bench near where the front of the train would arrive, and under a couple of glaringly bright lights, "just to be safe". It was just myself and a few others on the platform when a tall man passes by and stops in front of me, and tells me he has a magic trick to "brighten up" my night. At first I told him my night was bright enough.
This was for a couple of reasons- Immediately upon this encounter, I had sized him up as
a) taller than me b) stronger than me c) might be able to pull a fast one on me and d) a man.
Sad as it is, as a woman you can never be too careful with how you choose to protect yourself and your belongings by always being actively aware and present in pretty much any novel interaction.
So naturally, my defensive instincts went up- it's nighttime, this strange, lone man is trying to get me to play into a card trick (I've seen instances before where people get so wrapped up in the trick and what the other person intends for them to focus on, that they don't even know their wallet is missing by the end of it.)
As such, I immediately reminded myself of where all my bags were, what was close by, scanned this guy up and down for any possible signs of danger. And after my initial decline, he insisted once more, and I agreed.
He told me to stop anywhere in the deck, to"pick a card, any card", I did and put it back in, and after 7 shuffles, asked me to stop the falling deck, pick up the first card, and sure enough, it was the same 7 of clubs I had selected before.
After that, he went on his way and I continued with my wait for the Somerset departure.
It really made me think.... and wonder if I was perhaps being paranoid by being so defensive at first, but also I am reminded daily of the necessity of keeping your wits about you.
It is nice to know though, that even in this world of crime, and wrong-doings and deceit, there are still people out there who want nothing more than to provide amusement- and perhaps, to reassure you that among the darkness, light too, still exists.
