How do you walk? Are you an anxious walker, with your head down, earbuds in, and unsteady steps? Or perhaps you walk with the confidence of John Wick. Head high, not an ounce of visible care or concern. How you walk when you’re out and about can either enhance your chances of being of victim of robbery (or worse), or enhance your chances of being left alone.

Years ago, I lived in a pretty unsafe area. Crime of all sorts was so common that most complaints to the police station got ignored. A good day was a day where only one dead body was found. One day, I witnessed a man stabbing another in a parking lot. I was the only one who appeared shocked. When I say unsafe, I mean unsafe. Walking through Walmart was risky. You could be punched, held up at knifepoint, pickpocketed, sexually assaulted, anything. I’d seen it all at the lovely local stores, and I quickly acquired a new life saving skill that ensured my safety. Not once did anyone, other than my now ex, cause me any harm the moment I adopted a new attitude.

Instead of walking like the timid, frightened anxious woman I was, and to an extent still am, I walked with an air of absolute confidence. My steps were measured, and steady, my face firm. My arms weren’t folded, nor did my hands grip my purse for security. They were in my pockets, in a carefree manner, or at my side. My head was always up, and I never wore earbuds. I walked like I owned the parking lot, or store that I was in. My goal was to walk with so much confidence that people would leave me alone, because what was I hiding? Did I carry, or was I a martial arts expert? I wanted potential threats to take one look at me and deem me unfit to go after in whatever criminal way they preferred. Afterall, nobody likes to learn that they underestimated their victim.