I had a moment of absolute clarity and shock earlier. I was visiting a childhood friend so back on the street where I grew up. We were chatting about the past, about how we used to roam and our parents didn’t know where we were etc. This would have been the early 80’s and I’d have been 10/12 years old.
I remembered going with another friend ‘Halloweening’ as we called it then - to maximise our returns we’d visit a house each, alternating along the street.
I went to one house, rang the bell and through the glass side panel saw the owner come down the stairs. ‘Happy Halloween’ I said - ah, come in a minute he said, I need to get money’ I followed him into his lounge where he was scrabbling about in drawers by the sound of it in the kitchen. He was a while and when he came back into the room he had his trousers open with his penis out. I backed away and said I have to go, my friend is outside. I quickly walked to the front door, he gave me 10p and I left.
I think the whole situation finally sunk in and for the first time I realised how much danger I was in. All the things you tell your kids not to do I did it. My blood ran cold actually but I remember at the time although being a bit surprised by it I never told anyone except my friend and it didn’t seem a big deal. My mother was the type that if I told her I’d have had the row for going into the house and no doubt I’d have been stopped from going out.
Anyone else look back on something and realise you had a lucky escape?