In this article, I will visit with you, and we will discuss the ways that you and I can be a possible deterrent to those people, who want to rob and hurt us. As we go in life , we sort of look the other way, or we think that it can't happen to us, when we hear or read about the people who pray on others, instead of going out and getting a decent job. They wait in the shadows, until they see a chance to fill thier pockets with what is not thiers.
It amazes me, on how there are those out there ,that are out to take you for every cent you have. It also amazes me on how many people are bilked into putting thier hard earned money, into the hands of some of the sleasiest people around. Most of the time they set thier sights on the older generation, who barely get by on what they have. They do this mainly because that scum knows that everyone who is on a fixed income, is ready to invest, as long as there is a great chance to make more money off of it.. After all, a little extra money in the pot, makes it a lot easier to make it in this world. So when you hear someone tell you that you will be richer for doing what they ask, your first thought is that you could do with more money. Folks, let me tell you this; don't believe anyone when they tell you that you will be richer for it. The only thing that you will be richer for, is the knowledge that if it sounds too good to be true, then most of the time it is not true.
Another thing that really gets in my craw, is the people who call you on the phone, and want you to give to some organization to help the needy, or to give to some benefit for children . Now, there are some very good people out there that are trying to do good with that money you donate to them, and I don't want to step on thier toes. But you have to remember that if you don't know these people, and you don't know of the organization that they are supposed to represent, you shouldn't be so quick to part with any money. Check on these organizations and make sure they are reputable before you give any of your hard-earned money away.
How many of us will answer a visitor at the door ,and allow them to enter the house to use a phone, or to get out of the weather while they try to sell you something, or to tell you about some great venture that you can invest in? Hey folks, once you let them in , you are putting your lives in thier hands. If someone comes to your door, and you anwer it, keep a barrier between you and that person. Don't unlock that outer door, because you can hear anything that they have to say through that door. It is your life and your possessions that are at risk.
How many times have you walked out of a bank with your money in your hand, thus inviting someone to take it from you? Sure the car is just a few steps away, so you have time to jump in your car and lock the door, thus keeping that bad guy from robbing you. That kind of thinking not only will get you robbed, but also hurt very badly. The same thing applies to when you come out of the store with your hands full, and you put everything down to unlock the car. You are at risk, because there are some very bad people out there that are waiting for that chance to rob, kidnap, or hurt you. The key to this is to always park where there is plenty of light, or where there are people that can see you. The bad guys don't like crowds and they don't like lights.
Another thing that this old man would like to talk about ,is the way that the people who use the computer to purchase items, and they use thier charge cards to pay for it. There are some good businesses out there, that sell off the internet, and of course the only way to pay for it is to use a charge card. Most of these businesses are of a good reputation and usually are working thier site in a secure operation. But you shouldn't be too quick to give your card number over the internet without checking whether that site is secure or not. Let me tell you this; anytime you put any charge number or social security number over the internet, you stand a good chance of getting ripped off by one of the people they call hackers, who spend thier whole day on ways to get into your bank accounts, charge accounts and even your savings. Take this for instance; you use a program for keeping a budget, and you put your account numbers in there so that you can keep that budget up to date. There are hackers out there, that might of planted a cookie in your system, so that when they wanted to, they could bring up your files and get that information and account numbers. You say that that would be impossible, because you have a secured site. Folks, if the hackers were able to get into Microsoft, don't you think that they would be able to get into yours. I have a system that I use in my budget keeping and I would be glad to share that secret to you if you want it. All you bad guys out there, don't even bother me about it because I won't tell you.
I guess after reading this column so far, you are thinking that this old man doesn't trust anyone, but that would be far from the truth. I would like to think that at least 95% of the people out there are trustworthy, and you could trust them with your life, but that 5% out there ,are of the worst kind of people and they are not those who put in a good days work each day. That 5% is of the worst scum in the land and the only way to stop them is to protect yourself with knowledge, commom sense, and good friends, who will be there for you when a crisis comes about. The main thing that I want to say to you, is that they are out there , and they will be ready to jump you , but with the protection of our law enforcement , we can hold them off. As always, if you think that someone is out to rob you or get money from you by pretending to be a representative of some organization., call that group or contact those men in blue who are out there to protect you. Checking first will mean that you end up last still with your money.
One thing I see in my everyday job is a lot of great children, and every once in a while when I say hello to one of those kids, I will see them get closer to thier parents for protection, and that is good. Parents, continue to teach your children to use you as a protection against those bad guys out there. Teach them to be cautious, and to be leary of other people who could be out to hurt them. And tell them to holler real loud if and when they might be approached by someone they don't know. The bad guy does not like loud noises and they will run away.
As always, this old man speaks straight from the heart, and what I say is of my own opinion and sometimes I get off the deep end, but I do it because I love you all. Without you out there to read my words, I would be nothing. Without this paper allowing me to write this column, I wouldn't be able to reach you and I thank them and you for that. May your days during the holiday season be full of joy, and may they be safe ones too.
If you have time, check me out at my website at http://www.geocities.com/kokomoman/ where I am slowly getting in range of 180,000 hits so far. You can e-mail me at [email protected] or at [email protected] . Until the next time when we will visit , I salute you.