June 17, 2021:
A note from Ed in 2009 that I’m pretty sure he’d share today. Sharing for you honey… missing you every minute of the day but even more so on this special day.
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What's a Broken Window Worth?
My son Cameron and I had a great time at the SoundersFC game on Sunday. There was lots of action, the Sounders won, Cam picked out the jersey he'd been wanting and I got some solid alone time with my 9 year old (his birthday is today). It was all going well until we got to the car after the game. I thought I was pretty slick parking under the Viaduct avoiding the $20-$25 parking cost (you can tell where this is going right?). Coming around the side of the car there was shattered glass everywhere, outside on the ground, all over the seats and in the carpet. all of the "stuff" from the glovebox, storage and back (Subaru Wagon) was strewn throughout the car, it was a pretty disturbing site. Then I saw what they were probably after, I had left my GPS mount on the windshield, bonehead move - since I had been told before that was one of the main reasons people break in. As I was cleaning the glass off the seat so we could get going home I heard my son sobbing. he was scared, confused and a little bit mad. If you've never been under the viaduct at night - it's a pretty sketchy place - why did I think this was a good idea? Was it worth the $20? Once in the car headed for home my son's fear turned sharply to anger. Words of hate aimed at the people who did this. I have to admit that my thoughts were not that different from his, but I knew this was a time to be an example to my son. I talked to him about the people that might do this kind of thing, and that lot's of people don't have what we have materially, and that sometime people with out hope don't care about consequences, and how people will do desperate things for money or drugs or food. Then I said to Cam "do you know what we should do now", "what" he said, "we need to pray for them." "I don't wanna" he said, "I will then" and I did, and he joined in. We prayed together out loud in the car on the way home, seeking understanding, giving forgiveness and being thankful. I've never felt closer to my son than in that moment. I'd like to to think that I would wave had the same reaction had Cam not been there, but I'm not sure I would have handled it as well. For me, trying to be an example for others teaches me far more than I think helps them. I'm not sure what the cost will be to fix the window, but whatever the price it will be worth the lesson. P.S. Anybody know a good glass man?
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