a heavy heart

I have been living in Bridgeport for a year now. I moved in with the intention of reaching out to the community and impacting the people around me. We had a few block parties this summer in an attempt to get to know our neighbors, and had 10-15 people come each time. On Halloween we threw a Harvest Party for all the kids in the area. We had more than 70 kids and parents come out for the day (I think it was the bounce house that did it). I feel like we are really building community and making a difference. Neighbors who wouldn't even open their doors to me last year now stop on the street to say hi.

On Friday night my roommate Jenn called at 11pm asking to be picked up at the train station. When I went out to my car I found my window smashed in and my gps stolen. Seriously. I got someone else to pick Jenn up while I called the cops to fill out a police report.

I laid awake in bed that night not upset or vengeful, but sad. I realize there are far greater injustices in the world, but I feel like we had been making progress and this just seemed to put me back where we started a year ago. I know that the punk kid who did this probably doesn't live on our street, or know who I am, but it hurt nonetheless.

I secretly hope that I find out who did this. Instead of reporting them or making them pay me back, I will tell him (or her...) that they can work it off. Then I will give him odd jobs around our house so he has to hang out with us and talk to the people here. Eventually he will come around on his own and we will adopt him into our community where he will be rehabilitated and do amazing things.

A girl can dream.