The Illusion of Safety

Recent events have caused me to reflect on how cavalier I can be about my safety. Whether it is benign day-to-day activities such as pumping gas late at night on my way home from class, or running alone in Forest Park, I tend to feel insulated from harm with the thought “that doesn’t happen here” always going through my mind. I’m sure Sherry Arnold felt the same.

Sherry went out for her usual Saturday run last week in the small town of Sidney, Montana where I’m sure she never felt unsafe. But that Saturday run was to be her last. Missing since 6:30 a.m. last Saturday Sherry’s body was found today. While no information has been released as to what actually happened to Sherry this obviously raises the question of personal safety. It is my hope that Sherry didn't suffer, and instead was the victim of a hit-and-run car accident covered up by barbaric humans with no regard for decency rather than some nefarious activity.

Regardless of what happened, the security blanket that cloaked the people and rural town of Sidney has been yanked away to expose them to the violence and fear many of them could not imagine happening in their town. I know what it feels like to feel protected in a small town. I grew up in a town of fewer than 600 people, and moved to a town of about 10,000 before moving to Seattle when I was a sophomore. Never could I have imagined such a crime happening in the two small towns I lived in, and maybe that is what keeps me from being more diligent now.

Sure, I tend to the side of paranoia with my safety at home, but when I am out running or biking I rarely consider it. Never could I have imagined what happened to Sherry, and my heart breaks thinking of her. My heart breaks at the thought of how the simple act of a long run, something I’m sure brought bliss to her life, ended in her death. My heart breaks thinking of how it could easily be anyone I know, including me, instead of her.

This story has forced me to reexamine what I do. My sweetheart bought me Mace specifically designed for runners (meaning it is small and has a strap that goes around your hand) for Christmas. At the time I appreciated his concern for my safety, and while it can be annoying to run with for more than a few miles, I think that minor nuisance is far less of a bother than other possible consequences. I encourage women who run alone, whether it is one mile or 20, to invest in something similar. I’m sure your husbands, partners, boyfriends, girlfriends, and family will appreciate it. I’ve seen similar Mace items at every running store in Portland, so I’m sure it is in your town, too.

I have followed this story closely through the blog Shut up and Run, whose author is Sherry’s cousin, and other media outlets, hoping for good news to break any minute. That good news will never come. While I never met Sherry, it appears as though she was a much loved teacher, a great mother and wife, and a woman with a generous soul. Clearly a human we need more of on this earth.