The Scariest 30 Seconds of My Life

Sometimes an event that only lasts 30 seconds feels like a long, drawn out 30 minutes. Like when a large intimidating man comes up behind you and demands the keys to the car your babies are sitting in. Time just kind of freezes when something like that happens.

I had taken Emmett and Bethany out for a couple of errands, with the promise that our last stop would be at Barnes Park in Kaysville, pictured below:

When we got there I put Bethany in the stroller and let Emmett run free. We spent some time quacking at the ducks and chasing seagulls before heading over to the play area. There were a few other kids running around and I was trying to help Emmett be brave and go down the slides (lately he's decided to be scared of slides again). There were two or three other moms there with their kids, a young couple having a picnic by the stream, and a couple of men having a conversation under the covered area. Aside from that, I didn't really take note of who was there or what else was going on around us.

When it was time to leave, Emmett was good and didn't fuss. I put him in the car first, put the stroller in the back of the car, and then secured Bethany into the car. I wasn't watching what was going around me or paying attention to anything other than what was right in front of me. I closed the car door and turned around.

There was a man right behind me. He was probably about 6'2", in his late 20s or early 30s, heavy set, had short dark hair, round glasses, and a scar on his throat from a tracheotomy. He held out his hand and said, "This is my car, give me the keys."

I told him no and put the keys behind my back. He backed me up against the car and got right up in my face. He kept demanding that I give him the keys.

I'm not sure if I said anything after that initial, "No" response. I think I probably just stared at him stupidly. I do know that my mouth went dry, my heart jumped in my throat, and all I could think about was that this was really happening, that this man was going to try to take my keys and my babies, and that he was big enough to do it by force.

Right when I was sure he was going to grab at me or do some other awful thing, he took a step back and said, "I'm just kidding-- sorry for pissing you off." Then he walked off into the park like nothing had happened.

I know that I looked anything but intimidating at that moment. Maybe his actions were drawing attention from others in the park and it made him uncomfortable enough to give up, but I wouldn't know because I had a bit of tunnel vision. Maybe there was a sword wielding guardian angel that stepped up in our defense and scared him away. Whatever the reason, I am so grateful that he changed his mind and left us alone. I went straight home, called Casey, and then called the Kaysville police to report the incident.

I'm sure we'll go back to the park again, but I think that from now on I'm going to be a lot more observant of who is around us and what is going on. I have no idea if the man had been watching us for any length of time or if it was a spur of the moment decision that he made to approach and intimidate me. I am very grateful that there were other people at the park today or I think the story might have ended differently, and I'm pretty sure we won't be hanging out at the park if there aren't other people there as well.