put your hands up

When you think ‘crime fighting hero’ I’m guessing the first thing that comes to mind is not a grandmother and her handbag. (If it is, I’d love to hear why!) But that’s exactly who the hero of the hour was this week in the UK. When she heard a commotion down the street, the wee wonder of a woman took it upon herself to stop the six suspects from smashing the store windows and ultimately stopped a robbery from taking place.
I'd like to think I'd be that brave. If my life wasn't in immediate danger, I'd like to think I'd be the one running across the street, wildly waving my purse, stopping a crime from getting any worse, but I honestly don't think I could ever predict my reaction. Of course I’d want to be the one that saves a stranger or blocks a break-in, but would I? Would I be the one to cause a commotion, to come to the rescue, to look danger in the eye? I think when situations suddenly present themselves, a split second decision is what shocks you into action...not the hours you've spent analyzing what you would, should or could do.

My husband often tells the story of when he was a young boy and became pinned under a full flower box that he had tried to climb. His sweet four-foot-eleven little lady of a mother suddenly appeared, as strong as Hercules, and lifted the 300 pound box off her little boy. Ask her to do it again, without her son underneath, and I guarantee she'd struggle to shift it ever so slightly. But when danger strikes, we so selflessly jump to the rescue without stopping to think about our actually abilities or certain consequences. I can only hope that my courage will kick in when I need it, that my muscles can move more than I realize and that I, too, could save the day if I had to.

What would you do? Have you ever witnesses a crime?