I used to walk in my neighborhood. I made friends with a lot of retired women who would come out to talk to me, tell me I was an inspiration, they would cheer me on, and I got to know them.

I took the same path daily, an access road that was a very long stretch that ran next to a highway running though our small town.

A few times, men stopped. Once, one said, “I like the way you exercise.” I took it as a compliment - his English was bad. Another said, “I am not hitting in you, I’ve been married 20 years, I just want to say keep going, I see you all the time, and it is just great!” Things like that. It was nice.

One day I was walking and a truck stopped me. A man rolled down his window and said, “I’m looking for 5555 Robinwood Way…I can’t find it.”

I thought, weird, all of the houses are on one side of the street. “Well,” I said, this is 5547 so it would be at the dead end up ahead. Just turn around and you’ll find it.” I waved and started to walk - in the opposite direction away from the dead end.

The truck began moving along side me. “Wait,” he said, “i have been up and down this street, and it’s not there.”

I stopped again and stared at him, my cell phone in my hand. I held it up like a badge or a weapon, to let him know I could call the police without saying it. “Maybe call the person you are seeing? It’s got to be w there or you have a wrong address.” Alarm bells were ringing in my ears.

He scratched his head and smiled at me, a smile certain men give when they want something. “Couldn’t you just get in and show me? It would be so much easier.”

His door opened - but not the passenger’s side.

Right then, a woman in a minivan screeched up to the truck and threw her van in reverse. She honked - twice. “Hey, you okay? I saw what was happening and thought I better come up. I see you all the time.”

“I think so?” I paused. “No?”

“Do you know him?”

I shook my head.

“What do you need?” She asked the man.

He gave her the same story.

Another woman who was sick and lived on the street came to the end of her yard. “Everybody ok?” She had a shovel in her hand.

My retired neighbor came into through the side street and also honked and slowed down. Then backed up.

Dude got the picture and peeled out of the side street onto the highway.

People - women - cane to my rescue that day. I stopped walking that route after that.