A Motivational Encounter
Last spring, early on a Friday evening, I was returning home from a copy shop in Lincoln Heights. As I waited at the stop sign on 30th to turn south onto Regal, I saw three teenagers attempting to roll a concrete transit bench into the street.
Being the person I am, I rolled down my window and told them to stop. The teens apparently felt affronted that I would question their behavior, and they ran toward my car shouting obscenities.
I quickly rolled up my window and watched in horror as they began kicking my vehicle while attempting to bash in my window. As soon as traffic had cleared on Regal, I accelerated and escaped, still shaking.
After turning, I glanced at my rearview mirror and saw the boys laughing and carrying on.
In less than a second, I lost my fear and turned on my anger. I made a rapid U-turn.
It was rather amazing to see their looks of conquest change to disbelief as I chased them through the Lincoln Heights parking lot. They entered McDonald’s, and I went into the Lincoln Heights “cop shop.”
The volunteers in the “cop shop” radioed the police. When the police arrived, I accompanied the officer to McDonald’s and pointed out the boy who had damaged my vehicle. He turned out to be only 14 years old.
He showed no remorse. In fact, during the conversation, he used profanities to the officer as well as to me.
The only emotion this boy displayed was that of surprise that I would want to press charges for damages incurred.
This incident was my personal wake-up call. I decided shortly thereafter that something crucial is missing in our youth of today. The idea of respect for others and their property and clear limits and boundaries for behavior somehow have not been conveyed to them.
I used this experience to motivate myself to pursue teaching parenting classes for parents of adolescents.
I urge others not to wait for a personal wake-up call. Become engaged in your community and with our young people now. The increase in violence and lack of conscience of our youth affect us all.
MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.