Kids these days...

Greedy, arrogant, mean, thieving kids.....

Yes, we are all well aware that I have chosen a lifestyle sans kids, however I would be saying these horrible words regardless after what I and our landlords experienced today. 

Here's what happened:

Two young boys came to my front door. One had long, blonde, shaggy hair with a helmet on and skateboard in hand, the other had short, brunette hair and was nervously standing at a distance from the doorway. 

The blonde says: "There's a skateboard in the back. Can we have it?" 

I tell them that it's not mine and they have to check with the landlords upstairs. I tell him that if he can't get a hold of them upstairs, then no, he can't take it today, but he can come back another day and ask. They say okay and I close the door. 

I sit on the couch and ponder what just happened. Did the kids see the skateboard from the front yard or the back yard. Where was the skateboard? In the shed or just loose on the lawn? We're they rummaging through the yard and then found it? Feeling a little uneasy I walked into the kitchen and peered out into the back yard through the crack in the blinds. Sure enough the two kids are in the alleyway "doing tricks" on their boards. Okay, I think to myself, innocent enough. They are either hanging around to wait for the upstairs landlords to come home and ask. Or they are just local kids, and have accepted that the board is not theirs for the taking, so they're just carrying on with their "playing" outdoors. 

I wait a few moments longer and think to myself, did both kids have a skateboard when they came to the front door? Or just the blonde one upfront? I can't remember. I scan the yard to see if there's a skateboard on the lawn. I don't see one. I open the blinds up all the way and observe a few more moments. The brunette boy then notices me standing in the window, points to his blonde friend, and then points down the alley. They both take off down the alleyway. 

I quickly put on my shoes and head around to the back yard, but sure enough they are both gone. I do a quick loop around the block, but no luck, I don't see them, or the boards. 

I of course texted my landlord to let her know, and to ask if she remembered where the board was kept. She tells me they have two and she thinks they were just loose in the yard. I do another quick scan and sure enough I don't see them. I give her a heads up and apologize profusely that I didn't head out to the yard sooner, but she tells me not to worry, that it's not my fault. 

Sure enough when my landlord gets home I head outside to chat with her, and give her the details. She's upset of course, mostly for her son, Olyn, (apparently even at only three years old he's gotten pretty good at it), but she understands that in the grand scheme of things, Olyn has plenty of other toys to play with. I apologize again profusely, I should have known better, but she tells me not to worry. 

So here is my rant:

What punk kids steal freaking skateboards from a tiny little innocent three year old? He is three, and now he doesn't have his super old dingy vintage skateboard that his parents have taught him to use. Sure the boards were just sitting loose in the yard, but what gives them the right to go onto someone else's property and take stuff that isn't theirs. Who is raising these kids? Not just kids, people...who is raising these people? My husband and I have had our fair share of thievery too. Our previous place got broken into twice and stuff was stolen. We've had our vehicles broken into, and now for this family there was property stolen right out of the yard as well. Who is raising these people? Who is raising these people to think that they can just take what isn't theirs. That they can just waltze in on any ones property and take someone else's belongings. 

Mark and I have things because we work hard and earn what we get. The family upstairs works hard so that they can provide a certain lifestyle for themselves and their kids. Poor Olyn is now missing out on practising his skateboarding all because two punks kids were too greedy, arrogant and mean, instead of just working hard and earning what they get. 

So, to all your parents out there, please raise your children better, raise them to learn that they don't just get to take what they want because they want it. Raise them to work their butts off until they can earn what they want. 

Well that's it. Rant over. 

-Linds