personal
Since I've been back from China, a miniature personal drama has been unfolding at my apartment complex. Really, only my brother and Pomona friends know about it. I think I kept it from certain people to protect them from worrying about me, and from others to protect Pomona. In part, it just felt like an ugly thing to be broadcasting.
To be brief, there is a guy, we will call him "creepy muchacho". He seems to not respect personal boundaries or social norms, and is semi-homeless. He has family or a girlfriend that lives in my building, so he is always around. Sometimes he sleeps inside, sometimes in his car, and sometimes on the steps outside my bedroom window. Although he creeped me out before, since returning from China, the interactions had increased, to the point where I felt he was personally targeting me: staring at me, sleeping, smoking out on the steps by my bedroom window, pressing his face to my window, tapping on the glass at 2 am, throwing pebbles at my window... things like that. The peak (so far) was on Friday night when I found myself at 2 am, sitting in the dark in my living room, crying, and trembling uncontrollably after being frightened awake by him outside my window.
The point of this is not to seek advice or words of comfort (not that I'm opposed to those), but to testify that God is still watching over all of this. And maybe, it is true that this is happening because I live in Pomona. Maybe it is also happening because I am a single woman living in an apartment with a window next to steps and a landing. But I know that there are other forces at work.
Saturday morning I went to some dear friends and had them pray for me and strategize. We decided he should first be confronted and then the Police should be called. When they prayed for me it became clear to me that the all-consuming fear I felt on Friday night was similar to a fear I felt at another, earlier point in my life, and that it was all related to my sense of security, confidence, and view of men. (note to self: seek further counseling!) We recognized that there was something more to my reaction to creepy muchacho.
Then, on Sunday night my downstairs neighbors were burglarized. In at least 7 years of apartment history there has not been any such incident. As I was going to sleep I noticed some neighbors congregating outside, watching the police dust for fingerprints. So I decided to go and see what was going on and talk to them. Strangely, this burglary made me feel safer. Because I got to talk to my neighbors I found out that Sarah and I weren't the only ones being harassed by him. That other neighbors saw him and felt uncomfortable too. There was a great sense of peace and comfort in this community. I was impressed by Pomona PD, the officer was bilingual and offered to do extra patrols in the complex. He gave us his card. All the neighbors agreed to keep an eye out for one another and to call the police when we saw suspicious activity. The neighbors downstairs had similar "face" marks on their windows as I have on mine. So, there was also some peace in knowing I'm not being targeted.
So maybe it isn't over, but I know that God is moving things forward. Not only has he pointed out something for me to work through, but he has and continues to fight for me. He will rescue me. He surrounds me with friends and neighbors who care.
Psalm 43:
1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
To be brief, there is a guy, we will call him "creepy muchacho". He seems to not respect personal boundaries or social norms, and is semi-homeless. He has family or a girlfriend that lives in my building, so he is always around. Sometimes he sleeps inside, sometimes in his car, and sometimes on the steps outside my bedroom window. Although he creeped me out before, since returning from China, the interactions had increased, to the point where I felt he was personally targeting me: staring at me, sleeping, smoking out on the steps by my bedroom window, pressing his face to my window, tapping on the glass at 2 am, throwing pebbles at my window... things like that. The peak (so far) was on Friday night when I found myself at 2 am, sitting in the dark in my living room, crying, and trembling uncontrollably after being frightened awake by him outside my window.
The point of this is not to seek advice or words of comfort (not that I'm opposed to those), but to testify that God is still watching over all of this. And maybe, it is true that this is happening because I live in Pomona. Maybe it is also happening because I am a single woman living in an apartment with a window next to steps and a landing. But I know that there are other forces at work.
Saturday morning I went to some dear friends and had them pray for me and strategize. We decided he should first be confronted and then the Police should be called. When they prayed for me it became clear to me that the all-consuming fear I felt on Friday night was similar to a fear I felt at another, earlier point in my life, and that it was all related to my sense of security, confidence, and view of men. (note to self: seek further counseling!) We recognized that there was something more to my reaction to creepy muchacho.
Then, on Sunday night my downstairs neighbors were burglarized. In at least 7 years of apartment history there has not been any such incident. As I was going to sleep I noticed some neighbors congregating outside, watching the police dust for fingerprints. So I decided to go and see what was going on and talk to them. Strangely, this burglary made me feel safer. Because I got to talk to my neighbors I found out that Sarah and I weren't the only ones being harassed by him. That other neighbors saw him and felt uncomfortable too. There was a great sense of peace and comfort in this community. I was impressed by Pomona PD, the officer was bilingual and offered to do extra patrols in the complex. He gave us his card. All the neighbors agreed to keep an eye out for one another and to call the police when we saw suspicious activity. The neighbors downstairs had similar "face" marks on their windows as I have on mine. So, there was also some peace in knowing I'm not being targeted.
So maybe it isn't over, but I know that God is moving things forward. Not only has he pointed out something for me to work through, but he has and continues to fight for me. He will rescue me. He surrounds me with friends and neighbors who care.
Psalm 43:
1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
posted by Elizabeth at 12:40 PM
6 Comments:
SO relieved to hear things are working themselves out and that you are safer than you were before. =)
Oh yeah, thanks for the valentine surprise!
I still don't feel comfortable about this. Just make sure to stay alert. Don't be juggling things as you're getting out of your car--that's what I'm really worried about. Oh, there are so many things, Liz! I am, however, a little relieved to know that the community is aware of the situation. Make friends with people like Tonto! I'm serious!
carry a can of pepper spray (i think mace is illegal in ca) in your hand as you walk to and from your building...also have a can handy by your bed so you can grab it and use it in a pinch...also, make sure you regularly test your cans to make sure that the spray mechanism is still in good working order...i'd recommend you contact the police officer and ask him if pomona pd has any training courses on pepper spray usage, as well as taking a self-defense course or two, again i'm sure the pomona pd should have some recommendations...this advice isn't just on how to deal w/the creepy muchacho, but just general advice i'd give anyone looking to live on her own...as for the creepy muchacho, you may need to file a restraining order against him...but it sounds like he's got some sort of mental illness that needs to be addressed...hopefully, he'll get the help he needs before it's too late...
wow, i'm so glad you got prayer and talked with your apartment community. be safe, elizabeth!
lately E and I spent some quality time with the police when I got hit and run and also found it to be more than what we expected...
of prayers being answered, I'm a big fan...
-husband of E
your faith is so evident in your posting - it gives me some sort of peace of mind.
god will protect you and rest assure that you are not only in my prayers, but several other peoples'.
you're a very smart woman and i'm sure you'll do what you feel you need to in order to address the situation.
definately get to know your neighbors and consider a bbq so that the feeling of community does not atrophy as things wind down.
bless you, baby.
-c.
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