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For a child, wandering around and exploring is a good thing. In grade school I walked home for lunch each day. I was sure Daddy Tom was following me, spying on me. I rarely saw him because he had started a new family, but I was sure he was the man in the forest-green Ford Galaxie who would drive by slowly whenever I was out walking my dog Teddy around the brook. He's probably just looking at the dog, my mother said, pointing at our Scottish Deerhound. But just in case, get the license plate number.

My mother gave me good advice for avoiding creeps. She told me to switch subway cars, cross the street, change direction, walk on the double yellow line, walk up to a house and pretend that I lived there. Don't be afraid to suddenly walk away, she'd say. So, I did. I ran away from home.