Life under a microscope?

Do you ever wonder if you're being watched? Not to be paranoid, but do you? Whether it's a neighbor who glances out their window on occasion or a clerk in a store you frequent or members of a message board online, someone's watching and paying attention.

Before I moved in December, I always went to crops on Friday nights and stopped at the same convenience store on my way home. I felt safe stopping there, and the clerk was always very friendly. One Friday I didn't go, but on the following Saturday, The Hub and I were out and about. We stopped there for a soda without even thinking. When I got to the cash register, the clerk said, "I was worried. You didn't come in last night." That made me realize how predictable I am. As a Marine wife, we're taught to never get into a routine. Always change our route home, vary times when we can, and don't EVER be predictable. We're making ourselves an easy target when we do.

It isn't just that, though. It happens online, too. Whether you realize it or not, people you knew once and have parted ways with could be frequenting the very sites you call home. But they may never let you know their identity. Or maybe they're a complete stranger to you, and you caught their eye somehow. But know that you ARE being watched.

We become too comfortable sometimes, and I've had a wake-up call again this week about this very thing. Do I sound like a paranoid freak? Yeah, maybe. But I feel like lessons keep presenting themselves until we learn them. I've been reminded once again that we're not invisible and that people do watch and keep up with us. Got it. Be more careful. *sigh*