God knows I don't want to be a cynical person. I hate it. I want to see the good in this world. I see it in the flowers, the birds, the sky.....but I don't see it in people. And I want to so badly. I truly do. I'm sick of being this way.
I don't believe in organized religion, so I thought that a good way to spend today would be with my son, Dominic. I was off work. I told him he could sleep late, then we'd go see The Passion of the Christ. Discuss it. Go out to dinner. Go home and play Scrabble, then he could get prepared for school. (My older son was spending spring break in Chicago).
We go to the movie. The 6:30 show. I've seen it twice, so I explain some things to him. I decided to tell him about Jesus, ever since he was small, even if Jesus was just a man. I haven't decided yet, but his teachings were something I try to live by. And I'd like my kids to live that way also.
The movie is over. I have my kleenex. Even though I've seen it twice, it's very emotional for me. We start discussing the movie as we're walking out of the theater. I parked directly in front of the Star Cinema in Fitchburg. A relatively crime-free neighborhood. A suburb of Madison.
We get to the car. I click the alarm on the keychain. Dominic yells. The passenger side window is shattered. The entire stereo system....no...the entire dashboard is ripped out. I stand there unable to move. This can't be happening.
I go back inside the theater. Ask the manager to call the police. I'm shaking. My eyes are still red from crying during the movie. The manager says they have cameras mounted on all corners of the building. He tells me he'll look and let me know if he sees anything. The police are on their way.
My son and I wait in the lobby. I see someone I work with. Pam. I tell her what happened. She can't believe it. She hugs me and makes me cry again. But then goes off to play a video game.
The police arrive. They want a CD player that was on the floor of the car for fingerprints. I tell them to take whatever...
The manager has the video. He asks us to follow him into the office to watch it. It seems this same guy has done this before. I'm transfixed as I watch a nice, new station wagon pull up beside my car....in BROAD DAYLIGHT!!!! People are walking all over the parking lot. Cars are coming and going. He has the balls to get out, break the window, set off the alarm, reach in,.......all the time while people are walking by.....don't they care????? Can't they see??? Don't they hear the alarm going off? I stand there in total disbelief!!!! My son's mouth is open. Two people come out of the theater and get into the car parked right beside us.....while the guy is standing RIGHT THERE!!!!!
He gets back in his car and drives away. The manager has made a copy for the police. He ejects it, then we see on the original tape still playing.....the guy COMES BACK!!!! I ask if he rewinded the tape. No....he asks the police officer if he wants him to make another copy of him coming back. "No...I think I have enough."
He does this while the sun is shining. As many as twenty people walk right by him while he's in the act of robbing my car. I'm inside watching a movie about Jesus...loving thy neighbor....loving thy enemy....thinking about how I can be a better person.....
I guess it could have been worse...we could have been in the car.....
the world is shit......