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Excaliber wrote:These are positive signs. He may have focused on a new target.

I'm glad he seems to have left me alone but sure hope he has not focused on anyone else.

Hi every one. Sorry I have not updated this. My mom was sick so that has kept me busy then Thanksgiving got here and the holiday rush began. I just wanted to update you and thank you for all your input. Since the last incident I've seen this man two times. Once in the grocery store,just as some one suggested I put it used my "B face" looked right at him, didn't say hi or otherwise engage him and kept on moving. He didn't follow me around or attempt to come say hello. About a week later I was turning in to the post office and he was pulling out. He waved and was obviously trying to get my attention. I just looked at him but didn't wave and went about my business. He didn't pull back in (which I half expected) so I'm hoping just not engaging him has shown I'm just not interested in speaking with him and he has moved on. I haven't see him since and that has been a few weeks.

SA_Steve I know my husband, dad, or brother would gladly step in. My husband was ready to after I went in to more detail about the guy but I don't know that is needed yet as I have not out right told the guy to leave me alone. Once I do that if he continues a next step will be taken. Plus in our messed up world they might get in to more trouble than the guy because well things are just backwards now it seems.

Thanks everyone for the input I think I have finally decide what to say. When I wrote the original post I had not seen the man in about 3 weeks but what I read in the book The Gift of Fear prompted me to think ahead a bit on how to handle it in the future. The input I got here also helped but I still couldn't figure out how to say it and "Leave me alone" for some reason just didn't feel right to me.

Thursday afternoon I was out running some errands for my mom. As I was walking in to Walmart I saw the man he was also walking in. I just nodded a hello and kept walking. I realize I probably should not have done that but it is a habit and almost an automatic action I will have to break. Anyway I headed to the pharmacy at the far end of the store to pick up a prescription. The line was long so I had to wait a while and then wait after to get instructions from the pharmacist so I was there a while. When done there I had a few other things to pick up, since I knew he was in the store I was on the look out for him. Sure enough as I leave the pharmacy and head toward one of the more main aisles there he is. I see a lady who I know that works there doing inventory on one of the side aisles so I decided to turn in there just to see what he would do. I guess I look like something is on my mind because she asks if everything is okay. I quickly explain and she ask if I feel I'm in danger I tell her no that mainly I wanted to see if he would follow me and was trying to avoid him. She takes a look out the end of the aisle and says yep he is there. A minute later he is at the end of the aisle and sees us talking and turns and walks off. She tell me "Okay that is weird I didn't think he was like that." She actually knew his name so was at least able to get that information. She takes a look to see where he is and I head the other direction to do the rest of my shopping. I don't see him again in the store until I check out he is in another line checking out. I head to my truck and head to do the next thing on my list for my mom a quick stop at the grocery store for two items. I head in grab my two items and get in the the express check out line which like the others is pretty busy. I run in to a friend of a friend and inquire to the health of our mutual friend that I haven't seen in a while. Since she in behind me in line as we are chatting I'm mainly facing back toward the store and I see the man just lingering around at the back of the line nothing in his hand just standing around. I continue with conversation with the awareness that he is also in the store. I when I start the payment process I lose track of him as he is no longer lingering at the end of the line. As I go to leave I'm on the lookout. Our store has two set of doors an outside set that opens to the area with baskets and has a few kids game machines and the motorized carts for people with disabilities then the second set that enters the actual store area. As I leave the store area I see him standing by one of kids games no bag in hand so no purchases made. That changes my mood I'm no long creeped out I am now irritated. I was almost tempted to just yell "Get away from me!!" but just kept moving and went to my truck I took a long out to the way route to make sure he wasn't following me to my parents home. After venting to my mom and getting some self defense advice from my brother that does martial arts I went home and thought on just what to say. I think I've come up with this "I don't know nor do I care why you find it necessary to follow around me around every time you see me but it stops NOW!"

I also gave my husband a more in depth explanation as to the guys behavior and showed him the photo I managed to get and gave him and my parents the name I now know to be correct. I have not seen him again since the grocery store on Thursday but now that I know what to say I feel better for some reason. I don't know where things will go from there hopefully he will be one to drop it if from that point forward I continue to not engage him.

Thank you everyone for your input I know I can't just ignore this because something is telling me I should be concerned. TexasCajun that book is actually what prompted me to take this more seriously. Not that I was ignoring it but just that maybe I need to take additional steps. I just started the book a few day ago(not done yet) but it just reinforced that I need to take my concern seriously. I need to discuss this in more length with my husband. The day I saw the creepy guy at the convenience store and mentioned to my husband I only told him "Hey see that guy over there he knows dad and whenever he sees me he is always overly friendly he creeps me out." I didn't go into all the detail about it that I did with my mom and my sister and I really should have. I know I need to get a name for him but I was concerned that by asking he might see that as interest on my part.

Mom didn't know much about him just a last name and said he looked familiar. My dad is working out of town so I haven't had the opportunity to speak with him about it. I already did a check on the sex offender registry I didn't have a name but searched by our zip code (our town only has one) and I looked through all the photos and did not find him.

Charles thank you for the prayers that is much appreciated. I have had some training in self defense but that was mostly for situations where I am unarmed which I have been when I've run in to him. I can't carry at work so aside from awareness and my pocket knife while out for running lunch errands that is all I have. When I run I carry a small knife and sometimes my NAA 22mag.

Sorry I forgot to mention my mom did know a last name for him but not a first. I thought about asking my dad to say something to him.

To give a bit of background I live in a small town (7000) that I grew up in. I am now as an adult it is not uncommon for people who know my parents to inquire as to how they are doing if someone sees me somewhere in town. A few months back a man about my dad's age asked how he and my mom were doing, he made the comment that I look like my mom nothing unusual so I thought nothing of it. The next time I saw him I nodded gave a polite hello and continued with my shopping and moved on. A few minutes later he is in an aisle I'm in an speaks with me a bit. This time nothing about my parents just comments that I look nice today kind of thing for some reason it makes me uncomfortable so I get what I need give and awkward thanks and move on. From then on when I see him (not often maybe once every few weeks) it's the same thing something just feels weird and I feel like he is going out of his way to speak to me once he sees me. So one day I decide to test this I'm at the service desk at the store to exchange something I happen to see him in line a few registers down with his back to me so he doesn't realize that I have seen him. I intentionally make an effort to avoid looking over at him while conducting my business at the desk. I tell the clerk I will be back with my replacement item once I get it and walk off in a direction opposite the line he is standing in still "not noticing" he his there. What I need is actually at the far end of the store and I take my time getting there. Well I get what I need and lo and behold when I turn down the last aisle to head back to the service desk there he is. Now remember he was in line to check out with like 2 items and I took my sweet time wondering around the store. He was still holding the items when he walks over to speak to me. So he got out of line and went to seek me out. This really creeps me out. He has never said any thing threatening or followed me to my car or anything like that just something is off. I told my mom about him tried to describe him but my description was to general for her to give me a name. Well I've done this "test" two other times with him with the same results. Once I had the forethought that once I saw him coming I got out my cell phone like I was reading a text and snapped a quick photo. I sent that to my mom and sister I kind of did the joking/not joking thing of if I turn up missing one day tell the police to talk to him first. The last time I happened to be with my husband. He (husband) was getting gas and I went inside the convenience store to grab us a sodas so when I got back to the car a pointed him out across the parking lot. I'm just not sure if there is anything to do the guy has never been threatening just weird not sure if he is one of those people that is socially unaware and if avoidance is my best course of action. Being a small town I know a few of the local officer but I don't even know what I would say, "The man creeps me out". Should I just be forcefully and tell him to leave me alone (the small town Texas manners I was taught make me cringe at that) but you do what you have to. Any input from anyone on dealing with this?