a true south african

yay! i became a true south african on tuesday night.
just another mugging statistic. how exciting. how safe i feel living in this wonderful country of ours. charming.
coming out of camera club (in an area which i NEVER frequent - for obvious reasons) on tuesday night, i was chatting to my sister on my cell phone. i was walking with esti and a male friend.
i saw three men walking towards us - it all happened so fast - too fast to even think.
one of the men (a tall, big, strong one) grabbed my cell phone out of my hand, and just for good measure hit me in the face whilst he was at it. nice.
i screamed and our male friend tackled him to try to get my phone back. a big fight ensued. a couple of punches were thrown. the other two guys then came back to join the fight.
in my dazed state i just stepped back.
it all happened very fast.
i saw my phone lying on the ground, but obviously it was not worth the effort to pick it up. the mugger then picked it up and ran off with it.
i was quite shaken.
this is the first time in my life i've been hit like that...and that moment remains with me always. rethinking the moment of contact is quite traumatic, but i can't help going back there in my mind, over and over again.
i spent the whole of wednesday in tears. i'm feeling better now, but still....i can't shake it.

10 minutes after i got home the police arrived at my home (yes, you did indeed read right) AT MY HOME - so that i could identify the suspect which they'd just apprehended.
let's not go there *rolling eyes*
all in all - a hideous, hideous experience. but yes, i'm truly grateful that it wasn't any worse. because sadly, i do realise how bad it could have been.
how sad, that i was born and bred in this country, yet i have to be grateful for getting away with my life?
is this what it's come to?
i'm really, really sad for my kids...that they won't be able to ride a bike in the street, or even play in our own garden, without me hovering over them, calling out their names every 2 minutes to see if they're ok.
gone are the days where we could take our pets and kids for walks.
gone are the days when you could go home or even walk in a parking lot without looking over your shoulder, and wondering whose watching you.

what a country...

darice - you lucky, lucky girl. you left just in time. if you're reading this - please give me a call. your number was on my phone.
tanya - please send me an sms with your number.


k - gotta sign off now. can't see much through the tears anymore...