RE: Weekend-Engagement #305: Have you ever been in a dangerous situation? What was it, how did you deal with it and how has it changed what you do moving forward?

When I was 23 I came home late from work. I lived in an apartment building then. The lobby to my building was well lit. I walked in and behind me the nicest looking young man entered. I held the door for him. I got on the elevator. He followed. Then he pushed the 'stop' button and told me, "Turn around and you won't get hurt." He held something in his pocket and pushed it toward me meaningfully, as though it might have a gun or knife. I realized I was alone. No one around. Just this young man, who was quite tall. I weighed less than 120 lbs. I didn't turn. He became more urgent. He kept repeating those words and moved closer to me. I refused to turn. I told him, "I can't. I'm crazy. If you do this to me I'll crack up." I told him anything, but I wasn't turning around. Fortunately, he was an inexperienced attacker. He didn't know what to do with me. There was the well-lit lobby and the street visible. He gave up and went away.

I figured, whatever he's going to do, I'm not going to make it easy for him. I'm going to fight.

I was lucky, but I'll tell you one thing, to this day I never get in an elevator alone with a strange man. If I'm in an elevator and a man gets on, I get off. I was lucky once. Will I be lucky again?

Well, that's my scary story :)