Are you a paranoid person?

[disney1990]

Recent threads have included people that won't put basic information on a census job (information that they provide to doctors, schools, sports teams coaches, even Disney World when they plan a vacation) and people that won't let their children as old as 14 go with a relative on a vacation to Disney World. Other people who won't let their children go outside to play and be children.

We live in a world were everything is played out on television. Facts show that there are no more child abductions today than there were 50 years ago; but you hear about them because they play out in real time on television. In addition, most childhood abductions are by relatives, not complete strangers. Most people who are killed by guns are killed by somebody that they know.

I have never been afraid of living my life and, thankfully, I have passed on that lack of paranoia to my 2 grown daughters, one who has 2 daughters of her own. Her children play outside, ride their bikes and go walking in the creek on warm spring days -- a little dirt never hurt anybody.

I just can't see living my life being afraid of everything. So how about you?

 

[hereyago]

I have been only paranoid once. It was the summer of going into the 8th grade-I am 42 now-but a guy tried to break into my house, into my room.
There werent any cars visible out front and so the house looked empty.

He was never caught and for the longest time I had a butcher knife near my bed.


But I don't do that anymore and I let DD11 enjoy her youth by riding her bike and letting her walk to school when she was in elementary school. The people most likely to molest or kill you are people you know.

 

[Disney Doll]

I have a totally anxiety-riden paranoid elderly mother so I fight to avoid the tendency because I know it can drive those around me nuts.

 

[Silent1CB]

I used to worry about things more before taking anxiety meds. Now I'm just much more mellow & see how silly & time consuming a lot of that worry was, but I just couldn't help it before. Not paranoid, but just full of worry.

Maybe those people have the same problem.

 

[monkeyboy]

Why do you ask?
Who wants to know?

 

[hereyago]

Weird story: A few years ago, I went for a job interview. I had to meet with the department supervisor then his supervisor.

I met the big supervisor, and either he was on the white stuff or he needed some meds with the way he was acting and asking if I had seen any cops around there and what had I heard about him. And this guy was serious.

I got the job, but I turned it down. I could see this guy going off like a time bomb, it really freaked me out, I couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough.

 

[krcit]

Why do you ask?
Who wants to know?

 

[goofyme]

I suddenly recall that snl skit with martin short smoking a cigarette i believe playing a cigarette manufacturing executive

 

[hereyago]

Ok, another paranoid story: I was working at a timeshare and another inspector and I went into a room to check to see if medical equipment-air tank-was still in the room. It was a large one and we didnt have anything to use to take it out.

So I called to the office and told the office work who was a complete ditz. As we are leaving the room a guest comes by and we greet her. We are leaving the building and I made a comment about if the other inspector thought I was too mean to the office girl.

This man comes up to us and says " you better not be mean to my wife" etc. Ok, once again people need to lay off the white stuff or get some meds. His wife luckily comes out as he is going off and it's the woman we saw in the building and tells him to calm down.

She asked what happened and I tell her he went off on us because he thought we said someting to her.

Once again, lay off the white stuff or get some meds.

 

[dakcp2001]

From working in an industry that sees a lot of identity theft, I will not give my social security number out to anyone. Period. I see every single day what can happen if you are not careful, and well, not willing to risk it.

 

[mking624]

Here are a few stories involving DH's crazy paranoid grandmother...

#1 - police showed up at my inlaws' house where GMIL also lives. They were looking for the previous owners, an elderly couple, who had moved a few months earlier. Though GMIL had their new info, she told the police she had no idea who they were. The cops were there to tell the couple their son was in the hospital after a car crash. GMIL told us that for all she knew, the cops were lying and the couple (elderly couple I must remind you) would come back to kill her for saying anything.

#2 - GMIL and DH's aunt went out to eat at Olive Garden. The aunt asked for ice water. The glass had apparently just come out of the dishwasher so it was quite warm. Well, warm glass with ice water caused thermal shock and the glass broke. GMIL immediately shouted "SHE'S BEEN SHOT!!" sending the restaurant into a panic. Obviously she realized she wasn't shot, but offered no apology...just figured that a noise like that would definitely be gunfire and since it was Olive Garden, it MUST be the mob shooting at her daughter.

#3 - Inlaws rented an Enterprise van to help BIL move to another state. The Enterprise rep called the house to check and see how my inlaws were doing, since GMIL told him she'd be there to answer his call. Apparently he had a cold and started coughing, so he asked to put her on hold to get some water. When he came back to the phone, GMIL said inlaws were fine and hung up on him. She told us she left on all the lights in the house and barely slept because his cough made her believe he'd come by during the night to kill her.

The hilarious thing is that DH's other grandmother had called her one time saying she always prays for me with my pregnancy because she doesn't want anything bad to happen. So what does GMIL tell us? "She's so paranoid, I'd hate to live my life like that." DH and I nearly spit our drinks out with laughter....especially considering this was maybe an hour after she told us one of these stories.

 

[MIGrandma]

No, I don't consider myself paranoid. I consider myself cautious though. I think there's a big difference between the two.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

No.

I mean... other than being paranoid of being attacked when by myself in a sketchy situation, I'm not paranoid.

I'm not scared to put my e-mail address, city, first or last name, my friends' and family's names (with their permission of course), age, birth date, school I go to, etc. on here either.

 

[disneyaddicted]

I don't know if I would call it being paranoid, but I can't sit at a restaraunt with my back to the door. And in big crowds I get a little freaked out, aside from that, my kids grew up being able to ride their bikes, walk in the creek, even have a sleep over with friends in a pitched tent in the front yard, but here is a paranoid story for you all, it's about my ex husband

We started going out when I was in 7th grade and he was in 10th. It was Easter and I had made little Easter baskets, one for my BFF and one for him, in the basket I had included a peanubutter chocolate egg, the kind you have to slice up to eat cause they are huge ( they were back then anyway) Well my BFF bit into hers and there was glass in it, she didn't cut herself on it, and obvioulsy it was something that had happened in the factory. So I called my boyfriend to tell him what happened and to slice the egg up as opposed to just biting into it. He swore somebody was out to kill him, he wanted to know who I had been talking to about him, did I give out his address, why would somebody want to kill him. I couldn't make him see that it was a factory mishap and that his egg might not even have any glass in it, he then wondered if maybe I mixed his and my BFF's eggs up by accident, not accusing me of trying to kill him or anything but maybe the person who sold it to me had intended that egg for him. REALLY?! that would mean the person would have to know where I was going to shop and exactly what I was going to buy and the exact egg I would pick up off the shelf. Get over it Moron!

I still married the moron though;(

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I don't know if I would call it being paranoid, but I can't sit at a restaraunt with my back to the door.

I have to do that too. Or I have to be looking out, I like to people watch and observe so I can't be staring at the wall or something. Unless there's a TV with something I like to watch on it, then I'd prefer looking at that.

When I have kids, it's going to be a requirement that at least one parent be looking toward the door or main pathway though.

 

[DisneyFairytale]

Well I grew up in Europe, where the regular day to day associations with people have to be very basic and private. You cannot trust anyone and the risk of theft, being robbed etc is MUCH higher than here in Canada. Because I spent the first half of my life there, I have grown to be a little on the paranoid side as far as guarding my private property and trusting people goes.

Nothing to any extreme, but still there for sure.

 

[npmommie]

I wouldn't say I am paranoid, but I am cautious. and the info I won't put on the census, i don't put it anywhere.

 

[tluvstink]

I'm not paranoid but my Dad is. He was afraid for my sister and I to do anything when we were growing up.

He was shocked that, not only did I allow my DD16 get her license a few months ago, she is actually allowed to drive

I had to wait until I was 17 to get my license and I really wasn't allowed to drive for several months.

That's just one example but I could go on all day long My dad loves us and did what he thought was best but it was frustrating at times.

Terri

 

[Becky2005]

Only the older I get the more paranoid I get -- although not necessarily paranoid -- just know about the "what ifs" -- I do try to be cautious about certain things but in reality if someone REALLY wanted to get you for whatever reason (not just some random person picked out of the streets) -- if they have the money and/or time they can find out anything about you they want to.

Hopefully not to the point of it stops me from stuff but way less carefree than I used to be for things....I worry more I guess is more the correct term. I'm not to the point of thinking the little green men from Mars are going to come get us or everything is wiretapped yet. LOL!!!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I don't consider myself to be paranoid but I do frequently err on the side of caution which I learned when I was growing up. My dad was a police officer and my mom was a jail nurse (they even met in jail!). My dad saw bad things happen almost everyday. We always kept our doors and windows locked because he knew how burglars operate and how they're most likely to get into your house. Even though he's long been retired, he still has an instinct for people. He took my DS to soccer practice once and I said it was fine to drop him off with the coaches and I would pick him up later. When I got there, my dad was sitting on a bench in the park. He said he was pretty sure he saw a drug deal taking place and one of the guys was still hanging around. He didn't feel safe leaving my DS until I got there.

Once when I was around 10, my brother, sister and I went to the store with my mom. We walked in and she suddenly said we had to leave. She hustled us out to the parking lot and into the car. When we asked what was going on, she said she saw a former jail inmate in the store. My dad had arrested him and he knows they're married. She said it was better for him not to know that they had kids and what we looked like. We always had an unlisted number, too. So, I was raised with caution and much of that rubbed off on me. I trust my instincts and don't hesitate to act on them.