I was counseling someone today who holds a prominent public position and is being stalked.  We don’t know how bad it is yet, but one thing we talked about is worth mentioning right now.  If you are concerned, do *not* touch or open or handle any unexpected packages.

My father-in-law used to send presents to us at unexpected times (like weeks before or after a birthday) and without letting us know the present was coming.  It would drive me crazy since sometimes I was on “alert” status and an unexpected package was not cause for rejoicing until we were sure who it was.  I asked him repeatedly to let us know when he was sending something but he never did.  Finally, I went to the USPS and got a list of ZIP codes for the area around where my FIL lives.  Then, if I recognized the ZIP code, it was a safe bet that the package was from him.

Now I don’t expect that everyone who is reading this to have an active stalker, nor do I expect that everyone reading this has my ability to irritate people.  Butif you are being stalked, or if you have managed to finally agitate someone to the extreme, and if you arrive at or leave your home/work and see a package or bag or briefcase or *something* just sitting there, and you are not expecting it, beware.  Do NOT touch or handle it.  Look at it carefully and, if you are not sure, ask for help.

The optimal solution–do not accept packages you do not expect.  If people are sending you stuff they can have the courtesy to let you know.