By Dani Greer
I was kidnapped once.
In 4th grade. School had let out for lunch, and the entire elementary school was in high spirits on the first warm day of a fine German spring. We children galloped about like so many ponies, and what fun when several kids in front of us started hurdling over the green privet hedge surrounding the terrace of a little café on the corner. We all followed, stomping and soaring, including me right along with the rest of the herd. And following right behind me a tall, swarthy, dark-haired man. He collared me and dragged me screaming and crying into the restaurant.
It was the owner of the café.
Oops.
But neither my little friends, nor I, knew this until many hours later. Long after my mother heard from dozens of hysterical children that I had been kidnapped by a wild man, and she, desperate and eight months pregnant, ran panting toward school in search of me. By the time she found me crying and on my way home, I’d given my father’s name, rank, and serial number to the restaurateur, who had called my father’s commanding officers, whereupon the real drama began.
But that’s another story.
Today, it wouldn’t have taken an afternoon to resolve a situation like this, thanks to the wonders of technology. Any of a number of people would have called to report the situation on their cell phones and that would have been the end of it in a few minutes.
Or in the case of a real abduction and missing child, systems like AMBER Alert would have activated in the blink of an eye. AMBER is officially an acronym for "America's Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response" but was originally named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old child who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996. The set-up has since been adopted by foreign countries as well.
In 1998, the first fully automated Alert Notification System (ANS) was created to notify surrounding communities when a child was reported missing or abducted. Alerts were sent to radio stations and also included television stations, surrounding law enforcement agencies, newspapers and local support organizations. These alerts were sent all at once via pagers, faxes, emails, and cell phones with the information immediately posted on the Internet for the general public to view. Today, even Facebook and Twitter have an AMBER Alert presence that is actively used by viewers. The good news is that many situations are resolved in a very short time. Be sure to click on the links and become part of this powerful child recovery system. The child you save could belong to someone you know.
I’m grateful today that my experience was never the real thing, but I did learn from it. I learned that my actions impact other people. I gave my mother one of the worst nightmares a parent can have. It’s a wonder she kept me. My father could have lost rank because that’s how it works in the military where parents are directly responsible for their children and damage to foreign private property is an International matter. It probably gave my friends and their families quite a shock, too. I also learned not to follow the herd, not to give in to peer pressure.
That’s one of the topics addressed in Rana DiOrio’s new release coming this fall. The 4th book in her ongoing series, the new title, What Does It Mean To Be Safe? covers many related subjects — from personal boundaries to Internet safety. Like her other books, it is inspired by a deeply personal story. Stay tuned as we share more information in the weeks to come. For now, please explore the other books in the series:
Here’s a sneak peek at one interior page of What Does It Mean To Be Safe?, illustrated by Sandra Salsbury.
I hope you’re as excited to add this book to your Little Pickle Press collection as I am!
7 comments:
I remember going to pick up my younger sister from school once, and when I got arrived she wasn't there. I couldn't find her anywhere. I drove home to tell my mom, because there weren't cellphones at that time, and she flipped out. Thank goodness she had just walked to a friend's house. (I was apparently late and she didn't want to wait any longer-little sisters, humph!) The wonderful technology that is available today not only keeps people safer but our minds at ease. Knowing that you can reach your child at a moments notice is amazing, and knowing that you can reach a million people in a matter of minutes, if the unfortunate need should arise, is phenomenal!
And since we're talking about traveling with kids all month - that's another area to pay special attention to. Whenever we're in strange places, there is risk because we don't know the people and are unfamiliar with the area. Be extra careful!
As parents, we have all had that panic moment, not knowing where our child is..even if just for a few minutes. It is terribly frightening. I experienced this the very first time I let my five year old ride the bus home from school. He went on the wrong bus! I franticly drove around looking for the bus with my child. When I found it and safely got him in the car, I asked him if he was scared. He replied, "no, I knew you would find me". I haven't lost him since! What I remember almost as powerful, was the other mother's that moved into action to help me find my son. Most of these women I didn't know. They all went in different directions to look for the bus. From that day forward, I am keenly aware of every child around me and their safety.
I was in a department store once and noticed a tiny little girl wandering around by herself. I asked her if she was lost and tried to understand her toddler babble. She was clearly just at the point of panic and tears. Suddenly, barrelling around the corner, a large woman, completely covered in tattoos (marvelous artwork!) and with spiky purple hair and nose piercings, desperately looking for her baby girl. As good a mama as you could find! Love comes in many packages, but mother love is pretty basic. I remember commenting to her that when kids are that age, they can disappear in the blink of an eye. We really do have to keep an eye out for everyone's kids, Katy. So true.
That is so terrifying Dani!!! Im looking forward to the new book. Teaching children how to be safe is so important! Thank you for sharing!
Being the mother of three young children, as I read your story all of the hair on my body stood up, Dani. It was a stark reminder for us all to be ever-mindful of the safety of our children. On a happier note, the excitement over the arrival of What Does It Mean To Be Safe? is building. Please stay tuned to the LPP blog and FB page for more details over the next several weeks.
Safety and Travel. When traveling up 95 from one state to another my young son and I stopped at a rest area to take a lunch break. My son went into the men's room and I waited outside. I stood there for a long while and he didn't come out. I asked a child coming out if he saw a little boy (6 or 7) inside and he said he didn't. I asked him if he'd go back in and call him by name. Coming out again he said no one answered. I asked an adult to do the same routine. Same response -No answer!... no son! Panic. I ran through the rest area – still no son. I ran around the rest area building…no son. A policeman helped me search. Awful fear … tears by now…anguish, thinking the worst…I ran back to the rest room again – no son. Looking up I searched the hallway from the men's room with a feeling of dread … and then suddenly spied my little boy walking out. Grabbing him up with a hug and tears flowing I asked him where he'd been and he answered "In the men's room." Asked why he didn't answer when people went in and called his name he answered. "But Mom, you told me not to talk to strangers!"
Post a Comment