Member-only story
To the Guy Who Just Robbed Us: I’d Like to Speak to Your Manager
I’m a committed urban dweller, and that comes with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. I knew this going in. Living in a city comes with crime, so when a guy broke into my gated patio a couple of nights ago, it wasn’t a shock.
What is perhaps different is that, instead of just anger and resentment or fear and wanting retribution, I’d like to have a conversation with him about my feelings. I think that might change things. For him, and for me.
Within hours of the crime — I found out about it within a very short time, thanks to my neighbor’s video cameras — I was over the anger and fear, and ready to have a chat with the perpetrator. I wanted to talk about the reasons why he stole from me. I wanted to talk about why he might make other choices if his life had been a little different.
I grew up in a small town that likewise had advantages and disadvantages. It was also the 70’s, so different era altogether.
My childhood was idyllic by some standards. My dad once grounded my best friend for riding her bike out in front of his truck, not stopping at a stop sign. She was maybe 7 years old.
He drove to her house, stepped out of his vehicle, and said, “Shana, let’s put your bike in the back here. I nearly ran over you, and that…
