Condition Orange in Church (?!)

I prefer to sit near the rear (main) entrance door during church services for several reasons.

First, and the one most easily passed off as the only reason, is that an usher has, by definition, a job to do by the doors.

Second, proximity to the egress point in case of emergency is a Good Thing. In the days when I used to fly on commercial airlines, I would try to catch the exit row, or at least be very near it. If there's something happening that requires me being out of Dodge in a hurry to keep me safe (and I shouldn't be going in to help others escape) I want to be #1 by the exit.

Third, I like to see what's going on around me. In the front row, you can see the Pastor and that's all. In the back row, you can see everything. This is a good place for an usher to be, because I can pop tall when a woman gets up with a baby on one arm and a bag on the other, to open the door for her. It also lets me know what's going on. Usually it's nothing much but I like to know about it.

Fourth, related to Third, is that, when I have to make an emergency PIT* stop, nobody much is distracted by my movement. I don't like to be an inconvenience or a distraction, and slipping a few feet from my seat out the door takes fewer eyes off the pastor than walking all the way back from the front row.

But the Fifth is the main reason: I am the security detail. I sit (and sometimes stand) by the back doors so I can be at the tip of the spear. I want to be part of the QRF** in my church if somebody comes in with the intent to do grave bodily harm to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I jotted a quick note during church, to remind myself to make this post. I am posting it so those like me might realize that they are not the only ones who do this. Just now someone came in the back door and I turned around. I recognized them in an instant and realized I wanted to write this article. When that door opened, I went from a low-key Condition Yellow to full-on Condition Orange. If it had been somebody with a gun, I was Ready to come right over the back of my pew and give them a nasty little surprise. Then I recognized the lady coming in and went right back to Yellow, and listening to the sermon.

That is all.

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*Pee Inna Toilet
**Quick Reaction Force