Traveling to any foreign country has its dangers. I ran into one yesterday. I thank God for getting me back to safety and getting me out of a situation I shouldn't have gotten into. I am a different person today than yesterday. My brush with danger was too close. Here is my story:
Yesterday I got into some trouble. I should have known better. I have traveled too much for something like this to happen. It was VERY stupid of me. I was walking down a main street toward the Hilton and a man kept pace with me and starting a conversation. He asked if I had seen the free National Dancing show right behind the Hilton? He said it was beautiful, and I would see the many different dances of Ethiopia all in one show. Since it was free, I said I would like to see it. Before I knew it, I was whisked away to a part of town I don’t know (not anywhere near the Hilton), and I was ushered into a building (with no identification marks or sign like a bar or restaurant) AND a room (with bars on the door and window) with no one else but the man, and four dancers. Every cell in my body screamed RUN! GET OUT OF THERE! If the door was shut, I knew I would have been locked in. I immediately said I was no longer interested and RAN out of the building, out of the gate and into the street. I had to ask directions from strangers how to get back to the Hilton. I knew I had escaped something terrible. I was really upset. When I review the situation, I ask myself at what point did I lose control of the situation? Why did I walk to a strange place with a stranger? Why did I go through that unmarked gate at his insistence when I wasn't comfortable? I didn't want to hurt his feelings! I want to trust people. I didn't want to be paranoid. I am too nice! I thought there would be a crowd of people watching a show; I was alone, and I don’t think there was going to be a show. They kept insisting that I drink my coffee, but I kept saying I didn’t want it. What if I had drank the coffee? I might have woken up in big trouble. I learned a very hard lesson yesterday. I can no longer be nice to strangers. On the walk home from the Hilton, another man tried to walk with me asking me if I had yet experienced the nightlife of Ethiopia? I stopped him and said, "If I want to see the night life of Ethiopia, I will see it with my friends." He said he was my friend! I said, "You are not my friend. We have never met: now leave me alone right now!" There has to be a middle ground between being too nice and being too mean. I have yet to find it.....This could happen anywhere....I will be more careful
Yesterday I got into some trouble. I should have known better. I have traveled too much for something like this to happen. It was VERY stupid of me. I was walking down a main street toward the Hilton and a man kept pace with me and starting a conversation. He asked if I had seen the free National Dancing show right behind the Hilton? He said it was beautiful, and I would see the many different dances of Ethiopia all in one show. Since it was free, I said I would like to see it. Before I knew it, I was whisked away to a part of town I don’t know (not anywhere near the Hilton), and I was ushered into a building (with no identification marks or sign like a bar or restaurant) AND a room (with bars on the door and window) with no one else but the man, and four dancers. Every cell in my body screamed RUN! GET OUT OF THERE! If the door was shut, I knew I would have been locked in. I immediately said I was no longer interested and RAN out of the building, out of the gate and into the street. I had to ask directions from strangers how to get back to the Hilton. I knew I had escaped something terrible. I was really upset. When I review the situation, I ask myself at what point did I lose control of the situation? Why did I walk to a strange place with a stranger? Why did I go through that unmarked gate at his insistence when I wasn't comfortable? I didn't want to hurt his feelings! I want to trust people. I didn't want to be paranoid. I am too nice! I thought there would be a crowd of people watching a show; I was alone, and I don’t think there was going to be a show. They kept insisting that I drink my coffee, but I kept saying I didn’t want it. What if I had drank the coffee? I might have woken up in big trouble. I learned a very hard lesson yesterday. I can no longer be nice to strangers. On the walk home from the Hilton, another man tried to walk with me asking me if I had yet experienced the nightlife of Ethiopia? I stopped him and said, "If I want to see the night life of Ethiopia, I will see it with my friends." He said he was my friend! I said, "You are not my friend. We have never met: now leave me alone right now!" There has to be a middle ground between being too nice and being too mean. I have yet to find it.....This could happen anywhere....I will be more careful
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