Scary thought

I'm a believer that you can never believe something will never happen to you. I believe in order to stay safe, you have to think that you could be the victim of a shooting. I think if you're leaving a store or walking through a parking lot, you need to think about the fact that you could be robbed. Or, when you're home or you're exercising, that you consider the fact that you could be sexually assaulted. This isn't paranoia. This is how my mom taught me to be aware of my surroundings and to take care of myself.

I had this thought today that for the first time in American history, we should consider we may have to immigrate to other countries.

We may need to flee America.

I don't necessarily think this is all because Donald Trump was elected.

I do feel our country is less safe, and there will be volatility in years to come.

To think our citizens may never have to experience immigrating to another country, or to ourselves become refugees, is naive.

I want to stay in America as long as I possibly can. This is my country. I love this country.

But I am starting to think about a Plan B.

How can I save up as much money as I possibly can, be able to cash in assets and move and immigrate if I need to? Where can I go and use my skills and experience to get a job? Where is there a language barrier? Where can I be safe because of gender differences and cultural differences? Where can I afford to live? How will I feel if my family is split and I must leave and my family stays?

These are things I am thinking about. It is my job to protect my family. I will not sit back and become what Jews in countries around the world became, and think this could never happen to me.

Think it could not possibly get that bad.

Think someone will stop this.

I need to be ready to not miss my chance to leave voluntarily.

We've seen the red flags. We've seen the warning signs. We've seen the lack of public denouncement of hatred.

Today on the news, November 15, 2016, I saw hate crimes and intimidation reports are up more than 400% in one week, I saw news about a school stabbing, I saw news about an airport shooting where the gunman has not been apprehended and one victim is dead, I saw ancient cities and historical artifacts blown up, I saw news of Russian warships positioning themselves, I saw news of ISIS warnings about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I was reminded of the tragedy of Aleppo.

I will not tell you my secret place. But I have a place in mind. God keep me safe. Keep my family safe. And if I must leave, enable me to leave so that I may live.