May/June 2008
(Sorry about the double issue,
May just got away from me!)
Running with GUNS!
So, picture this... I am
dropping my youngest son off at his high school (yes, he is 16, but there was a little matter of totaling his truck so he
is back to "riding with mom!") As I am driving through the parking lot I see 5 teen boys running with rifles
in their hands! All my safety training kicked into high gear; get to safety, call 911, tell everyone to
RUN AWAY! As I was reaching for my cell phone to dial 911, I noticed that one of the boys looked familiar.
Now where have I seen him? Before I could get my phone opened, things started coming together. Right behind the
guys (running with rifles) were the marching band flag girls! YEP, this was the high school marching band and
the boys were with the ROTC! Oh my goodness, I had to park the car and gather myself because I thought I was witnessing
a Columbine type school shooting.
Luckily
this was not "the real thing" but in an instant my internal personal safety instincts kicked in and took over.
But, I strongly believe that it is because I role play, thinking about situations like this and then try to come up with a
"safety plan" that enabled my mind to stay clear and react. Don't get me wrong, as soon as I realized
that this wasn't the real thing my knees started shaking and I had to stop my car for a minute or two and get it together.
Now, I don't want you to dwell on the darker side of life but, it is
a smart idea from time to time to think about different situations and ask yourself "what would I do if..."
This way when you are faced with a stressful situation you will already have some sort of plan of attack rattling around in
your head!
ROTC Rocks! But, stop running with your
guns!
"Jane Doe
Rape Kits"
If you or someone you know
has ever been a victim of rape or a sexual assault you are well aware of the emotional, roller coaster feelings that go along
with that situation. It may be fear, shame, embarrassment of a feeling of responsibility for what just happened to them,
but did you know;
• 60% of rapes/sexual
assaults are NEVER reported to the police
• every 2 minutes, someone in the United States is
sexually assaulted
Immediately after an attack, for understandable
reasons, many women are not ready to make the decision to come forward, have a medical exam and then file a police report.
But, this is a very critical window of opportunity in which valuable evidence may be lost forever, not mention getting medical
attention and care for possible STD's.
Thanks
to a new, confidential "Jane Doe Rape Kit" women can now seek immediate medical attention, have an emergency room
rape exam (which will then be kept on file IF and WHEN she decides to talk to police and press charges.) It's a
wonderful option to have at a time when emotions are running high and decisions are difficult to make. You can read
more about this new practice by clicking on the link below.
Click here > Jane Doe Rape Kits
Coming to Kansas and Oklahoma in June!
Fearless
and Female is going to be in Kansas and Oklahoma again this month educating women and teen girls in personal safety and practical
self-defense techniques. Please visit my website Register pages to get dates and locations for the Wichita programs.
Click here > Register
I will also be in Oklahoma on Saturday, June 28th
and we are going to present two programs during this visit. The first program will be "Safety for Seniors"
and then a regular Fearless and Female program for all ages. I received so many requests form my Oklahoma fan club for
a program dedicated to senior citizens that I am making another visit to the great state of Oklahoma to grant those wishes!
For more information on the Oklahoma programs please
email me at;
cindy@fearlessandfemale.com
Update on my niece!
In my last newsletter I wrote about my niece who was receiving death threats
via text messages. I am happy to report that she has not received any messages since April and her family believes things
are under control with the sender of these messages. I also want to thank everyone that sent their thoughts and prayers
her way. So many of you sent me your "two cents worth", your opinions and suggestions and I truly appreciated
every message!
Until next month...
Peace, Love and
Safety!
Cindy Coughenour
