Here in our little community......

I live in a very small beach community with a population of around 5,000 on a good day. Crime is pretty nonexistent here, except for the occasional domestic dispute or drunkeness that gets out of hand from time to time. So you can imagine how surprised I was to become the unwitting victim of a petty crime. As I prepared to do my usual Monday afternoon demonstration at the four-way stop, I parked my truck at the coffee shop as usual. My co-demonstrators parked beside me. We walked to the intersection, got organized and proceeded on with the demonstration. Meanwhile, back at my truck, a 13 to 15 year old boy decided to deface my tailgate with a piece of plastic or something. I actually saw the kid near my truck and didn't think anything of it at the time. The kid then showed up at our demonstration, ran wildly by waving his arms and shouting obscenities, then he joined some other youngsters on the east side of Pt. Brown Avenue. I did not know of the damage to my truck until the next morning when we left in the other vehicle to go to the beach. I saw the huge white scratches on the tailgate as we backed out of the driveway..... my heart sank. The following poem tells the story better than this post.

The Kid

Imagine this kid lounging around at the recreation center
Hoping for some attention, perhaps someone will enter
Engage him in some bantering, joking, any conversation
He’s so immature, unsure, without a shred of inspiration.

He gives up his little quest, he aimlessly departs the place
Nowhere to go in particular, he looks around for mischief
Gazing down the street he spies the traffic and the people
There on the middle island with their signs, it’s the vigil.

So nearby sits that dark blue vehicle, with bumper stickers
He grins, a thought begins, with jest he gleefully snickers
How fortunate his luck, spot the unguarded truck that way
A little piece of plastic’s all he needs, to make the lady pay.

Casually he stoops way down, out of view, surreptitiously
He scratches away frantically in a frenzied burst of energy
The deed is done, adrenaline’s humming, so powerful is he
A sneering mask of satisfaction on his rosy freckled cheek.

Just another petty crime, an angry kid with too much time
No parent supervision, an unpopular boy perhaps, alone
A fury welling up, low dog and just a pup, the angriest kid
To prey upon the population as he comes within their midst.

Wonder when he will grow up, or if he will, unsure that bet
Recklessness may lead to appalling things, unthought of yet
Change happens every day, he may overcome his cowardice
May modify his plan, yet become a man, given just a chance.

I was literally in a fog for days. I even absentmindedly drove too fast in town, something I never do, and got caught doing 50 in a 40 mph zone. Happily I was let off light by Officer Hirt who knew of the vandalism to my truck. Just settle down, Mary Ann, he said. Things will work out ok. Yeah right, when parents regain control over their kids, I thought to myself. I wished the kid had attacked me, personally. At least I could have fought back.