I Know what I'm Made of

Have you ever wondered what you are made of? When you hear tales of people going through challenges, do you question their choices and imagine what you would do in the same situation?

Unfortunately, I know what I'm made of and even though the stuff I'm made of is courage and moxie, I still wish I'd never had to prove it.

You see, when I was in my 20's I was mugged at gunpoint. I won't go into the details because they are not pretty and they put the emphasis on my attacker and he does not deserve the attention, but I do want to share the very last part of the encounter.

After he had taken my belongings and gone through every pocket on my clothing, I thought it was over. But it wasn't. He looked at me and said, "Now walk up the hill." It's one thing to take my stuff, but now he wanted to take my person!

I stood there looking at the ground and he lifted his gun and said, "I said walk up the hill!" I don't know how to explain how I knew this, but I knew that if I went with him I was not going to make it out alive. I remember thinking, if the only choice I have left in life is where and when I die - then I choose here. I raised my head and looked him in the eyes and said quietly, but firmly, "I am not going with you." Then I turned and walked into the street. I kept waiting for the gun to go off, to feel heat in my back. When I was in the middle of the street, I looked back and he was running up the hill.

This entire encounter took less than 5 minutes, but in those 5 minutes I learned more about myself than I ever knew. I learned that I am strong, that I have choices in any situation, that I am courageous, and that I have moxie to spare.


This post was inspired by Prompt #2 of this week's Writer's Workshop.