A Little Thief

My girls and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some odds and ends we needed. After we paid for our items we were I was pushing my buggy towards the exit. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. Walking towards me was a little boy about 7 or 8 yrs. old. I have children, so this guess is correct. He was holding a pack of baseball cards. He was looking around and started to put it under his shirt! I was shocked!

For his own good, I called him on it. I felt he needed to "get caught". By this time he had passed me. I turned and called to him. He looked back and kept on walking away. I kept calling him. This time he turned around. I told I had seen what he had done and that he needed to put it back. He looked at me and said, "What?" He hesitated and started to walk away again. I called took a couple of steps and called him again. He stopped turned around and started to walk back. I told him that stealing was wrong. He told me that he knew that. I told him to put it back. He didn't say a word, but his look said, "Oh man." I saw him put it back. I didn't see a Wal-Mart staff or else I would of said something. As I started to walk away, I decided to look back. I saw him hiding from me. He was heading back to get the baseball cards! I couldn't believe it!

I decided to stick around. He looked straight at me almost challenging me. By this time a store staff was walking by. I stopped her and told her what had happened. I don't know what she did, but I couldn't do anything more. Had I seen his mom, I would of talked to her.

Our Little League concession stand has been broken to 5 times this year. My Babe was elected President of our league. So he's the one that gets the calls when they break in. Three weeks before Christmas they broke in again. The spilled oil all over the floor. Stole candy and cut up the cords of the nacho cheese machine, coffee maker, microwave and other appliances. The damage was well over $3000.

The day before Christmas Eve the concession stand was broken into again. We got a call at 3am. My Babe and I went and met with the police. Little did the thieves know that just that day an alarm system had been installed. The teenagers were caught about an hour later.

Our city has nothing to do with our Little League. Everything we have at the fields has been paid for by the families who's children play in the team and by the money the concession stand makes. There are some local stores who make donations. Whatever money our Little League makes, goes right back into the league. Coaches, Board Members, Umpires are all volunteers. No one gets paid.

I think that's why seeing that little boy stealing hit a nerve with me. Stealing is wrong.... period! But to see one so young doing it, pushed me over the edge. If he wasn't called on it now, what would happen? Maybe this was a first time thing, but he didn't act like it was. What if he would continue? Crime escalates. You start off doing something little and before you know it, BAMM you're into doing worse things.

I'm just feeling so hurt about this. I know that the little boy wasn't stealing from me. I am nothing to him, but he was a child. Who needed to be told he was doing wrong. I hope and pray that he sees how wrong it was. I'm feeling so numb about this whole ordeal. He's just a little boy....

Oh, a little while ago, my daughter told me that she had seen the little boys with his mom. I wish I would of see them together. I would of said something to her about it. My daughter says that she was well dressed and so was the younger boy in the buggy. So it's not even like they couldn't afford the cards. I'm sure the mom would of been horrified of what her son had tried to do. I know I would of.