Plog Number 71
Target
Hello Ploggers, How are you and Happy Sunday. Today is one of the most beautiful mid temperate, sunny 🌞 , clear days we are fortunate enough to see. I never take beautiful weather for granted because we don’t always have it.
I did my weekly grocery shopping earlier today. Today I decided to go to Target 🎯 in University Heights. I was on my way trying to find stuff that my daughter and I will eat over the next week. I was standing in the middle of the donut, 🍩 brownies and Little Debbie aisle. I noticed that I was blocking the aisle when a silent, white man stood behind me waiting to pass. I turned over my right shoulder saw this silent man, excused myself and let him through. He never said thank you, boo or anything else. Then I noticed that as he was shopping he was simply throwing items into the cart. The cart was being pushed by a young, also silent, black male. The two males never spoke to each other or anyone else while I was near them. I thought they were a weird pairing but not much more than that. Then I got to the chip aisle and suddenly there they were again right next to me. The older guy walking and throwing stuff into the cart. The younger guy pushing the cart and trying to not make eye 👀 contact with me. As an older black woman there is an unspoken rule that younger black males or females usually look at me and at least nod their head. I don’t know where this rule came from but believe me it exists. I was getting weird vibes from these two so I wanted to make eye 👀 contact to ask the kid if he was OK. That is when I saw that he wouldn’t make eye contact with me. So weird!?!
I was texting my squad and playing detective as to what to do. One suggested a picture, the other suggested chatting them up which wasn’t happening. They didn’t talk, period. Someone else suggested getting their license plate number but I couldn’t get that either. I was looking for the younger kid to give me the thumb enclosed around 4 fingers sign of distress, but nothing. Finally I was checking out and who comes up right behind me but them. The older guy unloaded the groceries while the younger guy looked at his hands and played with his fingers and avoided eye 👀 contact with me. By this time I was going to ask him flat out if he was OK. But I never got the chance. Oh and the older guy wore a white face 😷 mask while the younger guy was bare faced. I was using my 📱 phone to get my Ibotta deals, so I conveniently snapped a few shots of the two of them. They were too fuzzy to be of much help.
So I said all this to say something…but I am not sure what?!? I do know that people are taken against their will. This seemed to be one of those occasions, but the young man didn’t run away. Perhaps he couldn’t. I also know that two men shopping together could be normal if they were friends, gay, co-workers or many other scenarios. But this combo just seemed odd, hostile and unfriendly. They were not friendly to each other or anyone else. I pray that he wasn’t there against his will. Trust and believe if I see you in a scenario that feels weird, I will be trying to give you the eye 👀 or something to see if you need me to go all official CRAY CRAY for you. We have to look out for each other. I remember when the three girls above were kidnapped for years before they re-gained their freedom. I don't want that to happen to anyone else. I see all the TikToks about predators putting drug laced Kleenex, Plastic ties and other items on your car to mark you for abduction. None of us can be too careful. Be on the alert so you don't become a TARGET. RECLAIM
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