I was almost arrested today! Okay, that’s an over-exaggeration, but I could have been arrested today….I think. In every movie or tv show I watch in which more than one person is accused of a crime, it doesn’t take long before they resort to finger-pointing. “Your Honor, I am innocent. I was only driving the car. I didn’t actually commit the crime.” I normally scoff and start shouting at the tv because I just want the person to own up to having participated. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t pull the trigger! You drove the getaway car. You knew about the plans. That makes you complicit in the crime. Quit making excuses and accept the punishment! I might change my stance on that after today.

Sooo…I was with my sister-in-law, who I would say is a highly ethical working mother as well. Yet, we conspired to commit a crime. Her friend teaches forensic science at a local high school and needed hair from a deer so that her students could study it. Ummm…we do live in a state where hunting is allowed, but (1) we don’t hunt in any form or fashion and (2) what deer is going to stop long enough to let us pluck some hair from it? Hmmm…my sister-in-law tried the zoo, but once again, short of climbing over the railing and entering the deer’s space, which I’m sure would have kicked her out of the zoo, how was she going to get the hair from a deer?

Enter the crime. We decided to head to a local Bass Pro Shop and take the hair from the taxidermied animals on display. With Ziploc baggies in hand, we canvassed the store for animals that were within our reach. I was content to take the hair form a deer and run, but oh no, my sister-in-law decided to go for it and take samples of other animals. So we did. From a raccoon, a black bear, and a coyote. At least we think it was a coyote. There were several moments when it got a little hairy…no pun…intended like when a father and son came upon us grabbing the hair from the deer or when a store employee asked what we were looking for and we giggled nervously and ran into another aisle. Then there was the little kid who saw us petting a raccoon. I’m sure that didn’t look normal.

We completed our mission, but I learned something about myself today. I’m a big, fat scaredy cat! I was so nervous that I couldn’t even do the deed myself. I was just the lookout person and could barely even do that. My sister-in-law laughed at me because she couldn’t understand why I was so freaked out by taking such minimal risk. I’ve counseled families in the inner-city while a drug deal was taking place outside. I once was followed by a pimp because I dared to take one of “his girls” home without his approval. I’ve been to Iraq during times of unrest. I stand in front of audiences every day for hours and take on the number one fear of human beings-public speaking.

Yet…I was terrified of getting caught red-handed today with a bunch of Ziploc bags with animal hair in them. I think it has something to do with the black-and-white nature of this crime. We justified it because it was a small act and it furthered the education of high school students, but it felt like stealing to me. Whereas some of the other “riskier” things I’ve done in my personal and professional career weren’t violations of the law. They were acts that others would find uncomfortable, but not outside the confines of the law.

You can ask me to head to Sudan or Uganda. You can ask me to address a group of 10,000 and give a speech with no notice. But please don’t ask me to drive 70mph in a 50 zone!

What is your risk tolerance?