Too Close to Home

Pulling into work the other morning, the radio station I was listening to broke for a news update. Having spent most of the last half of my life in LA County, it still gives me jolt when I listen to the news broadcasts for Ventura County which is much smaller in size and population. All the broadcasts I can usually relate to in some basic way – having been there, lived near there, or somehow. The news that morning led with the story of an armed robbery the night before of two 7-Elevens.

Apparently, a heavyset man armed with a knife held up the first store and ran off on foot. Then, not long after, went to a second store and did the same thing. But it was the location of the first store that made me pause for a minute and think. The first store is one that is in my immediate neighborhood and one that I frequent on a daily basis. In fact, on nights that I have stayed up late studying or working, I will often stop by before I go to sleep at 2-3am in the morning. The robbery occurred at 2:30am. It is very possible that I could have been there when it happened, had I decided to grab a quick treat before bed that night.

Talking about it with a friend later, I wondered aloud how the man who worked the night shift, every single night, was doing. He’s a nice guy – quiet but always friendly and willing to let me slide on the last $0.50 cents or so that I am short on my order. Then I wondered how I would have reacted had I indeed been there. I hope that I would have been smart enough to keep my big mouth shut but I probably would not have. That’s when I started getting pissed. That is MY store where I bring MY KIDS. I feel comfortable going there, regardless of time. Who the heck is this “heavyset” man that thinks he has the right to try and take any of that away from me?

Then it hit me, yeah, it’s a good thing I wasn’t thirsty at 2:30am that morning because I definitely would not have kept my big mouth shut.