LFL # 38 => Be Aware Of Your Surroundings

Yesterday afternoon, I was having lunch with one of my friends who I met a few months after I migrated to Canada in 2004. As we were talking about different topics, we started discussing children. She is a single mother and has a daughter who is pursuing a career in the legal field in Australia. She was sharing her closeness with her daughter and why they are the best of friends to date. She shared that the turmoil in her life made her realize that spending time with her daughter was the best investment of her life.

Then, she paused and I asked her if everything was okay. She shared a story that broke my heart, as I had heard a similar story years ago. She told me that several years ago, a young girl attended a party with a bunch of friends. Given the crowd and environment, the girl was quite relaxed. She was on the dance floor and her drink was mixed. By the time she woke up the next morning, she was assaulted and her life completely changed. The girl tried to fight the case in court but to no avail, as she was dealing with people who had the power of the office and the purse (full of money).

Since then, she always told her daughter that if she was at the restaurant, pub or anywhere for that matter, she must watch her drink like a hawk and it doesn’t matter if she was with a girlfriend or boyfriend. If she needed to use the washroom, finish her drink. If it still remains, don’t touch it and buy a new drink, if she needed to have another one.

For all it takes is one mistake and it could change the way you look at life thereafter. She always told her daughter that if she lost her credit cards or money, she could replace it all but don’t do a mistake that takes her joy away. The daughter till date remembers this line all through her life. She is currently in her mid 20’s and is a lawyer, yet she follows this rule without fail.

My friend also shared something interesting during her recent trip to Australia. She explained that the women’s washroom has a special drink. I became curious and asked her, “Now, what would that be?”

She laughed and said, “If a girl or a woman is in danger or feels threatened in any form or believes she could be drugged, all she has to do is to approach the bartender or the server and order this drink.”

I asked her then what happens next.

She explained that the cops are called right away and the girl is now secured.

“Isn’t that wonderful!” I exclaimed.

She replied that this concept exists in Brisbane, Sydney, Gold Coast and all over Australia. Although this is one such instance, being aware of our surroundings is always beneficial, as we cannot eliminate risks out of our lives but we can make every effort to mitigate some of the coherent risks.

CA/GL-09/02/18

Please share with your families and friends