Today, walking my daughter home from ballet, I watched a pick pocket lift a cell phone from a purse.
I felt powerless to do anything about it. Not enough language skills to find a police officer or describe the person
Like a shadow, he appeared and it was gone in less than 3 seconds.
Because of the drug trade that runs in our city, I have no knowledge if the robber is carrying a gun, or has other accomplices or what.
Later, I thought of things I could do safely, but I still don’t know if I would be able to do anything.
It happened so fast, so casually.
The victim left her cell phone in an outer pocket of her purse, and with a swift hand, he lifted it.
One thing that happens in a big city like ours is this kind of petty thievery.
On New Years eve, a lady was getting a soda at the little convenience store, when a fireworks vendor snatched and grabbed her necklace, leaving the fireworks box on the floor.
Some of our party guests were witnesses, as they were getting additional ice for our party.
We’ve been picked at least twice and Brenda has stopped one or two trying to get into her backpack. One of our uncles was picked on a crowded bus.
Well meaning strangers have often warned us if they notice that our backpack zipper is slightly open. We understand the reason why.
I find that when I walk with my kids anywhere these days, I walk with a level of alertness that we didn’t have before. I’m scanning the crowd. During my walk, all are suspect.
We’ve had to learn the hard way. In the suburban US where we lived, this was never a consideration.
We’ve now formed new patterns of behavior and new ways of thinking because of our calling to live in this city.
We pray for this city, we love this city, and it does break our hearts to see this kind of stain in our city.
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