Halloween Learning Lesson

On a previous post I remember writing about having very few halloween experiences because of usually getting sick. But a recent internet story about halloween and punishment caught my eye for two reasons.

One that it was a wonderful way to administer a punishment in hopes that the person would learn from the experience. Especially in times when a slap on the hand or verbal reprimend doesn't seem to work. This young man had went into a local halloween costume store and attempted to steal it. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for the owner he was caught before he exited the establishment. The owner decided a most unusual punishment would be for him to wear the stolen costume and carry a sign stating "I tried to steal this costume from the store and this is my punishment". Some might think this is cruel and unusual but hey if the young man learned a lesson and didn't get arrested so be it.

This also made me remember my one and only time in my attempted crime. I was I believe eight years old and had went on a shopping stop with my parents to a local Newberry's store. I wasn't often allowed to look around on my own but for some reason I managed to get away from my parents and explore in another department of the store. I came upon a leather fringed thin belt that for some reason caught my eye. To this day I still do not know why I thought I could steal it but steal it I did. I managed to make it come with my prize in my little purse and proceeded to hide it in a hope chest that belonged to my mom that was in my room. I opened it up and hide it in a safe place at the bottom of the chest. Several weeks later when I got home from school my mother greeted me at the door with the fringed item in hand and wondered how it got there. I wasn't able to lie my way out of it so I confessed that I had stole it from the store. She immediately got on the phone and called the store and asked to speak to the manager and handed the phone to me and made me tell the man that I had stolen the item from his store. The only thing I do remember most vividly was that that fringed belt probably to this day is still in the bottom of that chest. A little reminder to me that stuck with me and I never attempted to steal from a store again.

For today it seems pretty mild, but I couldn't imagine parading in front of the store with a sign admitting my guilt. Hopefully this young man will learn a lesson like I did that he will carry with him forever.

Happy Halloween....