Lock Your Doors?

One thing about being a widow is that now I live all alone.  I've been all alone a couple other times in my life, but nothing quite as isolating as now, with country living.

The thing that leaves me kinda sad about being a widow alone out here in the country is that now I can do anything I want to any time I want to, and nobody knows and nobody cares.

On the other hand, one of the nice things about being a widow alone out in the country is that now I can do anything I want to any time I want to, and nobody knows and nobody cares.

One day a couple weeks ago I decided to get up early and go through some boxes in the attic.  I worked up there for 2 or 3 hours sorting and packing things up to take to the thrift store in town, and then hauled some boxes out to my truck.

I was dusty and hot and decided to jump in the shower before dressing for town.  I was just to the point in my shower where I was totally committed... you know, sudsy all over, including my hair.  Suddenly I heard "Boom!  Boom!  Boom!" on the front door.  I froze in place.

I quickly assessed my situation.  The shower curtain is mostly clear plastic with large greenish blobs, so I could see out into the bathroom as far as my feeble eyes could focus.  I had laid out 2 bath towels, but no clothing... my clothes were out in the next room, beyond the bathroom door which was standing wide open.  That room is connected to the front room (where the front door is) by an open doorway.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" I muttered.  God understood this to actually be a prayer that went something like "Oh, please, God, tell me that I locked the front door before climbing into the shower!"

You've heard it said that God always answers prayer, but that the answer isn't always what we ask for.  I really understood this concept when, while I was frantically rinsing myself off, I heard "Woo hoo!"  coming from somewhere inside the house.  I almost fainted, which I've only actually done once before in my life when I stood up too fast from lying on the floor in front of a hot fire...

All was OK, though, it was only my wonderful 91-year-old friend on her way home from the store.  She saw my truck in the yard and decided to stop in and became alarmed to find my door open (!!) and me nowhere around.  Since I have joined her ranks of widow-living-alone-in-the-country, she had to make sure I hadn't fallen and couldn't get up.  So she stepped right into my house.

This is OK with me, I do the same thing to her, because she's hard of hearing.  Do you know how difficult it can be to walk up behind a nearly deaf person and let them know you're there without scaring them half to death?  But I, too, want to make sure she hasn't fallen and can't get up.

So...a little more advice from the country widow... lock your doors for privacy before you climb into the tub.  Unless you're planning to fall and not be able to get up.  Then you'd better leave them open.

I think you'll need to decide this one for yourself.

Blessings,

Katrinka