By Kelly Worden and Laura Worden
When my husband was out of town on business recently and my daughter was at Grandma's house, I found myself alone (and not in New York). We live in Tacoma, Washington one of the West Coast's most violent cities. We had just moved into our new house in a nice neighborhood, and I wasn't really worried about anything happening. We had been living in a condominium for several years, and I had established certain everyday patterns. A false sense of security was one of them. Knowing that the neighbors were within earshot somehow made me feel more secure when my husband was away. He and I had discussed leaving his pistol with me on this recent trip to Portland, Oregon. Like most families, we run on separate schedules. While I was out shopping, he was heading out. He had decided that he should take his pistol with him since he was driving on the freeway in an unfamiliar area. He had written me a note, but I didn't see it right away and was unaware of his decision. Later, I decided to take a peek into the special hidden cabinet, knowing it would surely stabilize any insecurities I had about being alone. With the evening's news of violence, crime and bad weather in the background, that little peek turned into a wide-screen shocker! My husband's pistol was gone! A dry, empty feeling rushed through me. My mind was racing, visualizing everything, but nothing. Lying in bed, the nightly news reminded me of our violent society, the image of me and a Calgon bath commercial, relaxing after a hard day's work, disappeared.
Suddenly - I could hear a creaking noise from the staircase. It sounded like footsteps. My heart pounded. I could see myself standing in front of a group of women telling them that most rapes occur in your own home! What was supposed to be a heavenly evening alone was turning into a night of hell. Trying to stay calm, I slowly rolled out of bed and grabbed the short stick on the floor. With white knuckles, I gripped the thick rattan and crouched, springloaded, in the corner. Shadows were coming Through the doorway. My mind flashed. "I don't understand. I did the right things." l locked and checked the windows and doors five times, or was it six? I called my parents to let them know I was staying alone for the night and assured them I would be okay. The house was secure and our new dog, Crystal, was with me. Crystal? Just then, in the shadows, "What's that sound? Dog tags? Crystal! You scared the hell out of me, but I'm glad you're here." Sleep wasn't too easy to come by, and I got off lucky that night. But, knowing that someone else was probably becoming a victim reaffirmed my commitment to teach other women about awareness and protection. By the way, I didn't tell my husband that the dog slept in his spot that night. – Laura Worden
Love at first knee - When I met Laura, my wife to be, I couldn't believe the part of town she worked in. Nice buildings and offices, but "Shifty" and "Shady" hung out in the alley 24 hours a day. I was concerned about her safety and it was natural to start Laura into the self-defense scenarios that we did in our school demonstrations. Fourteen years later, Laura is now writing and teaching in the scenarios. She is a senior instructor at Natural Spirit Int'l, specializing in women's personal protection. She confides. "I don't have all the answers." If we need additional assistance, we have professional advisers in several fields of personal protection to guide us.
Take a second. Think of a women's self-defense class. People who are not in the know probably visualize the women's bridge club, giggling and karate-chopping the air in designer sweat suits. Someone who may have seen a class ten years ago will remember that Judo throws and hammer fists were a woman's main line of defense. Times are changing! Women are really concerned, and they have the right to be!
Prepared for Shopping - "Hey, honey. You got everything? Car keys, chemical spray, fist load, stun gun, your 9mm handgun? "Oh, don't forget your Delica Clip-lt! Oh yeah, while you're at the store, could you pick up some popcorn and look for that new Clint Eastwood movie?" Hey guys, I bought my wife a new breakaway purse, fanny pack, shoulder holster and a new inner-thigh mounted Tanto for Christmas. Then I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She replied, "A registration form to attend the next Personal Protection Handgun Course. By the way, I'm always low on Chanel No. 5 perfume." A woman of the '90s? Yes And if you're in love, you should provide her with defensive options and specialized training to better assure her safety in today's world.
– Kelly Worden
