http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/heatherijames/26979 We were out camping and something odd happened&nbsp;one night.&nbsp; We were at the RV park's pool (I know...not camping) when two gentleman came into the pool area, smiled and said hello.&nbsp; I gave a half smirk back because I was too busy trying to figure out what their angle was in approaching me and being so pleasant.&nbsp; Were they going to kill me, rape me, take my young?&nbsp; They were just too friendly and it put me off because, quite frankly, not many people are these days.&nbsp; Naturally, I figured they were up to something.&nbsp; However, a few minutes later their wives joined them and they also gave me a warm greeting.&nbsp; When they actually spoke to me in a full sentence, I was finally able to pick up the foreign accent.&nbsp; Coupled with the few words of German I picked up in their speech, I realized they were German tourists RVing through America.&nbsp; They played in the pool with my son and husband and were wholeheartedly kind and gracious.&nbsp; Needless to say, I was quite ashamed that my first reaction to their kindness was to prepare myself for the commission of a crime.&nbsp; But, it made me think what this poor country&nbsp; has come to.&nbsp; It isn't the state of our guardedness that bothers me, because we need to be guarded these days.&nbsp; Thus, what bothers me is the necessity to be guarded.&nbsp; How many of us would truly feel comfortable with two middle aged men in speedos playing with their four year old son in a pool if&nbsp;those were American men?&nbsp; Because as far as this mommy is concerned, if it wasn't for the European accent, the situation would have been completely anomalous to the American norm and I would have been right in assuming something could be afoot.&nbsp; Maybe I watch too many crime dramas on TV, maybe God has&nbsp;put me on high alert to prevent something horrible from happening in the future, and maybe it's a combination of the two.&nbsp; We were out camping and something odd happened&nbsp;one night.&nbsp; We were at the RV park's pool (I know...not camping) when two gentleman came into the pool area, smiled and said hello.&nbsp; I gave a half smirk back because I was too busy trying to figure out what their angle was in approaching me and being so pleasant.&nbsp; Were they going to kill me, rape me, take my young?&nbsp; They were just too friendly and it put me off because, quite frankly, not many people are these days.&nbsp; Naturally, I figured they were up to something.&nbsp; However, a few minutes later their wives joined them and they also gave me a warm greeting.&nbsp; When they actually spoke to me in a full sentence, I was finally able to pick up the foreign accent.&nbsp; Coupled with the few words of German I picked up in their speech, I realized they were German tourists RVing through America.&nbsp; They played in the pool with my son and husband and were wholeheartedly kind and gracious.&nbsp; Needless to say, I was quite ashamed that my first reaction to their kindness was to prepare myself for the commission of a crime.&nbsp; But, it made me think what this poor country&nbsp; has come to.&nbsp; It isn't the state of our guardedness that bothers me, because we need to be guarded these days.&nbsp; Thus, what bothers me is the necessity to be guarded.&nbsp; How many of us would truly feel comfortable with two middle aged men in speedos playing with their four year old son in a pool if&nbsp;those were American men?&nbsp; Because as far as this mommy is concerned, if it wasn't for the European accent, the situation would have been completely anomalous to the American norm and I would have been right in assuming something could be afoot.&nbsp; Maybe I watch too many crime dramas on TV, maybe God has&nbsp;put me on high alert to prevent something horrible from happening in the future, and maybe it's a combination of the two.&nbsp; en-us Tue, 20 May 2008 22:51:41 PDT <p>Heather, in response to the last line of your blog entry...YES!  That is precisely what God did for you, what He does for moms (sorry, dads.... but in this case, it's mostly mommy-instincts).  He gives us that internal warning to alert us of possible danger for our children.  Perhaps that danger will turn out false, as in your case, but never be squeamish about having that little voice in your head.  It's the same voice that warns us not to let our children play at playgrounds alone, alerts us when they get too close to the street, or doesn't let them out of our sight for more than 20 seconds!  Congratulations on heeding that voice--and yet, what a wonderful, pleasant outcome!  Great blog!</p> http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/heatherijames/26979/#c_241222 http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/heatherijames/26979/#c_241222 <p>Heather, in response to the last line of your blog entry...YES!  That is precisely what God did for you, what He does for moms (sorry, dads.... but in this case, it's mostly mommy-instincts).  He gives us that internal warning to alert us of possible danger for our children.  Perhaps that danger will turn out false, as in your case, but never be squeamish about having that little voice in your head.  It's the same voice that warns us not to let our children play at playgrounds alone, alerts us when they get too close to the street, or doesn't let them out of our sight for more than 20 seconds!  Congratulations on heeding that voice--and yet, what a wonderful, pleasant outcome!  Great blog!</p>