In addition to her learner’s permit and some golf accessories, Gamma got a cell phone for her 15th birthday last Sunday. With the freedom and privileges that come with age and responsibility, she’s out without parents or older siblings more often these days.
She’d asked for an MP3 player for her birthday (having been told that she couldn’t have a cell phone until her 16th — a diversionary tactic on my part), so I splurged and got her one with the MP3 player built in. It uses a MicroSD flash card for song storage, which arrived via UPS today.
Every day when she goes to the big municipal pool, I tell her to lock it in the lockers. I’ve made sure she has quarters. And she has, every day, except that after she called me about a quarter of six this afternoon, she just stuck it in her pool bag and jumped back in the water, one last time.
When she came back, it was gone. She found the plastic belt clip two tables away, stuffed under a pile of trash. Her friends dialed the number over and over, wandering all around the pool to listen to it ring, but nothing.
The thieves had left the pool by then — it only takes a minute.
She had it for all of five days.
Signal insurance from US Cellular is a notorious rip-off, so it wasn’t insured. She was warned on Sunday that I will not replace it if it’s lost, broken, or stolen… so it’s a good thing she starts her summer babysitting job next week.
It’ll take her nearly three weeks to earn enough to replace it. That’s a helluva hard lesson — just about all of her summer’s earnings to replace a gift that she had for five days.
Although yes, it was her fault for leaving it unsecured, I’m absolutely fed up with the thieving little illegitimates who’ve taken up residence (or visitation) in our fair town. One of these days, they’re going to steal from the wrong person at just the wrong time, and meet up with a Louisville Slugger (or worse).
This is an expensive way for Gamma to learn that thieves suck, but its cheap at twice the price to learn this lesson at a young age.
Now, point out to her just how lousey she feels being a victim. When that sinks in she will never want anyone to be a victim again. It will be a good experience for her. She just learned what it is like being stolen from. Not that she would steal, (her rearing is better than that), but this is a deterrence to others if she uses it correctly. She should advise all of her friends to avoid making anyone a victim in this manner. It makes one feel like crap.
I dunno Jacket… seems like the burglary a couple of years ago would have taught her that much. Her room was completely ransacked, her belongings broken or stolen.
At this point she wants revenge.
Yeah, but this one happened with friends around in “real time”. Hope they all take it as a learning experience.
BTW, revenge is not all it is cracked up to be.
What a hard lesson to learn. It is sad to have to face the realities of our society at such a young age.
I do hope you’ll remind her of the law regarding teens driving and talking on cell phones. It seems this is an overlooked law based on what I see daily. It’s hard enough being a new driver, adding a phone into the mix just makes it worse and oh yeah, set a good example, stay off YOUR phone while driving.
I disagree Jacket. The right kind of revenge is pretty sweet. What was the old saying…”Living well is the best revenge.”
No D my favorite is “Don’t get mad, get even”.
Ya see girlfriend…that’s why you scare the crap outta me.
Ah come on D. A little “and I use that term loosly” girl like me can’t scare a big guy like you, right.
All show and no go.
Hey Jacket:
I wouldn’t bank on that.
I’m absolutely fed up with the thieving little illegitimates who’ve taken up residence (or visitation) in our fair town.
Some jerk stole a pregnant woman’s car at the library where I work over in Knox Co. Whoever lifted the keys right out off her desk when she wasn’t looking. The car, fortunately, turned up 3 days later abandoned, but not trashed.