Who doesn’t love a good podcast? If you have never listened to a podcast, let me tell you, you are missing out! There are so many great podcasts put out by individuals and big corporations, and they cover so many different topics like food, health, self-care, and feminism. I have listened to many podcasts and one of my favorite topics is true crime. I like reading about crime and listening to crime stories and podcasts even though I know these stories generally end poorly. There is just this thing that draws me to them. For example, have you ever left work late and, when walking to your car in the dark, felt someone watching you? Yeah! Creepy, I know. I am always thinking about what I would do if someone tried to kidnap me.
I have this obsession with crime podcasts. Yes, I say obsession because this is literally how I start my routine every morning. I listen to a crime podcast as I get ready for work and as I do my chores around the house. My latest obsession has been with a podcast called Crime Junkie which you can find anywhere you listen to podcasts. Crime Junkie covers different types of crimes. The reason I love this podcast, and many of the others I listen to, is because they cover crimes that have not had much attention from the media, missing persons, and serial killers. It makes me think that if it happened in a little town, it could happen in my town. It could happen to my family or my neighbor.
One day, as I was dropping off my teenager at school, I sat in the parking lot making sure he made it inside. That same day he got home and said, “Mother, I saw you sit in the parking lot for like two full minutes, what was that about?” My response was something like “well, I wanted to make sure you made it inside; who knows, someone may be watching you and may snitch you up as you are walking inside the school.” His response: you listen to many crime podcasts.
Well, let me tell you that just a few weeks ago I was listening to an episode on Crime Junkie called IF I GO MISSING. In this episode, they tell the story of a girl named Tanya Rider. Listen to the episode so you know what I am talking about, but the hosts of this podcast, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat, talk about what is called an IF I GO MISSING folder. Yes, it sounds weird, but I have to quote this from their website (https://crimejunkiepodcast.com) because I feel like it’s true. “Be Weird, Be Rude, and Stay Alive.”
I had never given it thought but as I listened to this episode a few months ago, I thought to myself, “what if I go were to go missing?” Would my family know where to start looking? What type of information do they need to look for? Do I have enemies? Here are a few things I realized they need to know I were to go missing:
- My physical appearance such as what color my hair and eyes are. Do I have certain things that could identify me such as tattoos, piercings, birthmarks?
- Where do I work? What is my job title?
- Who do I talk to often?
- Where do I go to church or spend a lot of my time?
I listened to this podcast and thought wow! I wonder how much my family knows about me and my life. Am I a reserved person that keeps to myself?
If I were to go missing, who would be the first to know? I am hoping the first people to notice would be my husband and kids as I live with them and I spend all my time with them. I am lucky that my parents live in the same town as I do. I call my mom at least every other day and I go visit them every weekend. So, if I were to go missing, I know for sure that they would notice.
I am going to reference the Crime Junkie podcast because this is where I got the information for the If I Go Missing folder. I don’t know about you, but I love this idea. Just sit down for a minute and think about what I discussed in this article.
Crime Junkie has this form you can download and fill out and keep in a safe place. It’s called If I Go Missing: A Crime Junkie Podcast Guidebook. It has information for you to fill out such as your general information (full name, date of birth, sex, gender, etc.), medical information, relationships such as close friends, siblings, former significant others, and much more. You can log a lot of information and it can help if something were to happen to you. I hope this never happens to anyone, but the information is good.
