May the spirit of Arkaine protect me

Deckard Cain: "it is said that the ancient hero Arkaine placed the holy armor Valor in a secret vault. Arkaine was the first mortal to turn the tide of the Sin War and chase the Legions of Darkness back to the Burning Hells. Just before Arkaine died, his armor was hidden away in a secret vault. It is said that when this holy armor is again needed, a hero will arise to don Valor once more. Perhaps you are that hero..."

Slept at Battlefield Park on a wooden bench in Jackson, MS. My back feels like I slept on a gymnastics balance beam. Weren't a lot of room for tilting.

This is supposed to be a center for Freaks and Queers. I came from the university around 10:30 pm and seen nothing and nobody bothered me. In the morning I met a dude who recently got out of prison after serving sixteen years.

He said he watched a former homeless guy get robbed around 9 pm by other homeless. He told this story. The victim was unhurt. He got a job and left the park, came back and wanted to buy the guys beers to show his appreciation.

When I started my trip, I expected to get robbed and confronted. I've also accepted whatever else may happen. Sleeping outside all the time, alone, in unfamiliar places... seemed likely at the time to be victimized. But that isn't really what people do.

I believe people robbin they own kind shows it's everyone for theyself. They not gonna rob someone they don't know, because it's higher risk. They victimize those they know are weaker and they can take advantage of. This is what keeps the people down and the rich safe.

Now I feel safe most places I go, because I imagine the things I be doing don't make no sense in nobody's understanding of the way things go. That creates fear and doubt in their minds.

Hey who's that dude over there, want to rob him? He don't look like he got nothing worth taking. What's he doing? I got no idea. Should we mess with him? I dunno, he don't look right. Alright, better leave him alone.

Sixteen years served in prison. What a long time. Dude said everything's the same. Said, there's other people in the park now, but they're doing the same crack and drinking.

As an aside, I locked my bicycle on campus for a good eight hours and nobody took my bags or nothin. Sometimes, we hear stories, not the facts, and we make the unfamiliar places out to be more dangerous than they need to be.

Fear and hate are taught. Children will play with anyone who has a cool toy. They learn to wave and try it on anyone who will wave back. But as they grow up, they avoid certain people.

Fear divides us. Fear keeps us from reaching out to those who need our help. Fear drives us into our protective shell, isolates us, and keeps us from seeing the world as it is.

Fear is weakness. To know the danger and manage the risk is the transformation of fear into strength.