what would you do...

have you ever watched the television show "what would you do" hosted by john quinones? they create real life situations utilizing actors and then film real life people in the scenario they created to see how people react. 

i felt like i could have recently been a part of that show...and i am still stumped by it...so maybe if i put it out here the real life people will come forward and let me know who they were. no hard feelings...i'd just like to know.

last thursday i arrived at the store at 10:00. there was a car in the parking lot. it had no occupants and there was no one in the lobby waiting for me, so i assumed my husband had a client visiting his business upstairs.  i sat in my car for a few minutes to write some notes in a folder related to a project i am working on. if any customers came, i would be able to see them pull in and i would then of course unlock the door.

after finishing my notes, i proceeded to the front door. it was now about 10:15. i put the key in and turned the lock like i always do.  i walked in and turned on the first group of lights. then proceeded to walk to the next room. out of the one side room a woman appears. i let out a slight gasp. i walked a bit farther toward the cutting counter and two more women appeared walking from the farthest back corner.

i was startled. i wanted to say something, but nothing would come out of my mouth.  i wanted to move, but my feet would not budge. finally my brain slightly engaged and i asked if they thought the store was open. one of the women responded that they thought i was at the loading dock unpacking fabric.

the loading dock?  this is clearly a former bungalow type house turned commercial. there is no loading dock here. now i was frightened. my heart started pounding. fast. i felt sweat beading up on my forehead. i wasn't sure what they were going to do next. i started frantically turning all the lights on. i quickly opened the side doors in case i needed to make a quick exit.

then i started mumbling. i just kept saying i must have left the front door unlocked the night before. i tried to focus on their faces. i definitely had never seen them before. then one asked me about a pattern. i tried listening to what she was saying but was not hearing so well. so i just started mumbling again. i could not think coherently. then they just took to the front door and left.

the next customer in asked me what was wrong with the ladies who just left because they nearly knocked over her granddaughter. i am stumped. i just don't know what to believe.

if you entered a small boutique type of store and clearly all the lights were off and there was no sign of life yet in the shop, what would you do?

i would like to think they were quilters, visiting for the first time. but i would have thought they might have offered an apology for scaring the living daylights out of me, been a little nicer leaving and maybe even stuck around to buy something.

one thing that has come out of this...adt...the alarm people now have a presence.  and soon you will see some cameras mounted. darn it. i hate this feeling of insecurity. but better safe than sorry i suppose.

i am most thankful for this...sarah was not with me. i don't know if she would have been frightened by the situation, but she definately would have felt my panic and likely responded accordingly. and that would have been greatly confusing to her.