I keep fighting with myself for becoming a better person, but, as yesterday showed, I have a long way to go. It was such a little event that made me realize that.

I was walking with my dog on the front yard of our house in the evening. It was pretty dark. I have to say that we do not live in a very nice neighborhood, and I do not really feel very safe to be outside at night. Suddenly some guy ran out from the corner of our house. He seemed big and violent in his approaching me. But he tripped on the roots of the tree and fell. I was scarred and my dog started barking. I really thought that he was going to harm me or frighten me, and I said something like "What is that?!" He stood up and walked away really ashamed to the sound of my dog's growling. Only in a few seconds did I realize that it was just a boy running to his home in our neighborhood. I saw him entering the house not far from ours. I also realized that instead of asking him if he is hurt I was too egoistic to assume that he wants to harm me and was overprotective. I felt so bad about this situation. I am trying to get rid of this Russian habit of not-trusting strangers and being suspicious but after 4 years of living here I still have it. There is always a reason for self-improvement, I guess.