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| The construction site across the street temporarily became a police car parking lot. |
One Sunday morning, I woke up to care for our son. Then, I wrote a blog post.
Here’s the Tweet I wrote hours later:
Woke up w/baby. Blogged. Heard voices outside. Saw cop w/gun drawn. Grabbed & moved baby. Appears guy left w/o cops. Hmm. Now church. #fb
I tweeted that on Jan. 16, 2011.
The week before on Jan. 8 the Tucson shooting seriously injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and took the lives of many innocent people.
When I looked out my window and saw the officer had a gun drawn on a man, I broke mommy rule #2 — never wake a sleeping baby. I did that so I could follow rule #1 — always protect the baby.
I ran down our short hallway with my son in my arms and tried to explain to my sleeping Hubby what was taking place in front of our house. My mind raced with visions of bullets hitting Enzo’s room.
After it was all over, Enzo didn’t care what took place outside his bedroom window. Hubby suggested I figure out a better way to panic, so he didn’t think there was a problem with our son. I fretted about the lack of information about “police incidents” in our neighborhood.
If I had not stayed up to blog that morning, I would have missed the entire event.
That must have been so scary! I would totally have panicked and done exactly what you did. But it’s weird to think that if you hadn’t been blogging you all would have slept through the whole thing and never known!
Wow, scary!
Unfortunately, I’ve been in a neighborhood with popping guns, and I volunteered with the P.D. in Albuquerque. I agree – protect the family and get as far away from the action as possible.
What is so terrifying is the randomness of such violence and the feeling we cannot protect those we love. I, too, would have broken “Mommy Rule #2.”
Hard to say what would have been best. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. BUT,then safety is always better.
Terrifying, Stacy. A fine line stands between that blissful ignorance and knowledge of risks. Glad you and yours stayed safe!
Wow, what a thing, I’m so glad you and the baby were all right.
Pretty scary, all right. I think I too would wake up sleeping baby!
I just read your About Me page. So your husband had a brain stem stroke. How interesting. As my daughter had a brain stem injury (as narrated in the second half of my memoir), I’m wondering how the two things compare. Jen can’t walk. Can your husband walk? Can he talk?
I’m considering writing a second memoir totally focused on Jen and our “brain injury” journey together. How is YOUR MIP coming along?
I clicked on the blogger follow button but I’m also following you via email.
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs
That must have been a scary experience!
The Golden Eagle
The Eagle’s Aerial Perspective
My husband thinks I panic over a lot of things, but I would so much rather be safe than sorry, ’cause sorry can be really bad.
It’s always more scarier when you have your baby/kids around. Glad nothing came of it…or so I think.
Mommy rule #2 can always be overridden to activate Mommy rule #1.
That is so scary, and you definitely handled the Mommy rules appropriately!
‘Finding a better way to panic’ sounds like funny stuff now, but I imagine how frightened you had to be to have a gun drawn outside your house.
I think you did what every mom would’ve done. First priority is to protect your children and you did just that. Kudos! I am sorry it happened and that you witnessed it…
Stacey~
I had a similar thing happen. The cops were doing a drug raid on my block, and I looked out the window to see undercover cops with ski masks, guns drawn,dragging a guy out of a truck. First instinct – get on the floor, yell at kids to get on the floor in the hallway. Then call 911. I was told not to go outside (good thing they told me, because I was going to go out and offer everyone tea). Anyway, we spent the rest of our homeschooling day watching the cops, guns, drug dogs, people face down in the street being hand-cuffed… Great day!
I found you through A-Z. Good luck with the challenge!
Christine
Coffee in the Garden