Paranoia is really stressful

Okay, there I admit it...I'm paranoid to the max.

Sometimes I wonder if perhaps I'm too paranoid. Is that possible? My motto is prevention when at all possible, because who wants to deal with the alternative if there is no prevention.

I keep my children on a pretty tight leash...literally. So much so that I sometimes wonder what the heck other people are thinking when they don't. I always have my kids in my sights (I've been known to walk backwards just to keep an eye on them).

Last week two unique things happened that had me wondering...

When I was walking along Vancouver's Coal Harbour, I was at a spot where there is a 10 or so foot drop from the ledge down to the rocks below (depending on tide height) - no barrier or wall AT ALL. A lady and man were walking with a stroller and their two (approx) year old girl walking, mom pushing the stroller. While they were arguing about something, the girl was walking TOO close to the ledge and they had no idea about it. One small slip and kid over board.

Uhm hello!! I was so tempted to do something, walking in front of the kid, interrupting the parents, anything because all of a sudden I could see in my mind a kid falling over the ledge, head smashing on the rocks below, or drowning....and next thing I know it's my kid's faces I'm seeing.

The other episode happened when I was walking home from work and involved a mother and her 8 (approx) year old daughter roller blading along the Stanley Park sea wall entrance on Georgia. The girl stopped to look at the Canada Geese and the mom kept on going. As I was walking - I slowed down - I kept looking back...mom is still going, girl is still looking, mom is getting farther away, girl is still looking, mom is getting to a busy intersection to cross...girl is still looking at geese...

HELLOO, do you know where your daughter is (in my mind she's being yanked into a car and abducted...and of course again the faces of my kids are in play).

I've always accused hubby of not paying attention to the boys when they are all walking. In Germany I deliberately held the boys back while hubby kept going in a busy area of Munster. And of course to prove my point, he finally turned around and didn't see us and started worrying. WHAT IF I WAS NOT THERE!?!?!?!?!?!

I see this all the time. It takes no time at all for your kid to be picked up and taken and lost in the crowds in the arms of a stranger never to be seen again. It kills me to think of this happening.

I know I'm a bit judgy at times and bad things happen to really good people. I hate that. Some things aren't preventable and you let your kids out into the big bad world and hope and pray for the best. But sometimes what I see is totally preventable - people just need to pay more attention.

Ya, I'm paranoid!