In the wake of feeling threatened...

So tonight, while walking home, I was followed by a woman who I'm pretty sure was on drugs. She was following very close behind me for two blocks, so I called Jan, making sure someone knew where I was, and then turned around and asked, "Are you following me?"

"We're cool. We're friends."

"I've never met you before in my life."

"No. We used to live together. In Southie."

"I've never lived in Southie."

"We're in Southie."

"No, this is East Cambridge."

"Oh. But we're cool."

"No, if you want to get to Southie you need to take a bus."

"How do I get there?"

"The bus terminal is down that street. Walk down this street and it will be on your right."

"Oh."

And I watched her walk away, and then walked home, looking constantly over my shoulder.

It was a strange (and slightly humorous) interaction that could have happened anywhere, and I am almost positive the woman was harmless, but it is the first time I have really felt threatened in my neighborhood. And I don't like it, because of course I want to feel safe near my home, but mostly because that brief moment of fear has exposed all my secret prejudices. This was a twenty something white woman, and the fact that I am surprised by how scared I was of her and that I noticed she was a twenty something white woman, just goes to show you the kinds of people of whom I think I should be afraid walking down the street at midnight on a Friday. 

How shameful of me.