There are moments that have the gravitas to redefine us. Usually, we think of these moment as shining, beautiful moments, but sometimes they are ugly, evil moments that to shake us to core and threaten to undermine the things we once called certain.
It was day six of our ninety day traveling sabbatical around the country. My plan was to visit several Route 66 sights, starting from St Louis and working my way to the south down the famous highway. Our first stop was the Chain of Rocks Bridge, the first tollbridge on the Mother Road, just off the main highway. It was a grey and drizzly day, so we were understandably the only car in the parking lot. With a break in the rain, it seemed like a good time to grab some pictures of the bridge before we headed to our next stop.
With the baby in the stroller, we set off about 50 yards from the car to grab some pictures of the bridge. I reached into the stroller to grab the video camera and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car drive up next to my car. In what seemed like movie magic slow motion, I watched in disbelief as a shadowy figure entered my car and began rifling through my front seat.
For a moment, I seemed to be helplessly routed in place, while the world spun in out of control vertigo around me. With an audible snap, my brain whiplashed back into the moment, and as though I was out of my own body, actions began to happen without thought. In the retelling of this story, this was the moment, according to my son when “Mom began to freak out.”
I instructed the boys to huddle together and stay put, and then I began charging towards my car. With a primal growl that was propelled by a force not of my own body, I demanded that the shadowy figure GET OUT OF MY CAR! As the criminal ran for his getaway car, I used the only weapon at my disposal-my camera. In rapid succession, I captured images of the car and the criminals which would later be used to help the police open a case file for a string of burglaries at this site, likely by the same pair.
Assessing the damage, my purse along with my phone inside had been taken, but many of the other valuable things in our vehicle had been untouched, likely due to running away from the screaming, crazy lady. The criminals had used a screwdriver to punch a hole under my keylock, but no other damage was done. And we were all safe. That was the most important thing of all.
The next hours were filled with filing a police report, stopping my credit cards, and unloading the mountain of adrenaline that exploded on contact. Although the physical clean up of getting new credit cards, identification,and phone was painful, it was the personal second guessing that was gag gift that kept on giving. Why hadn’t I taken my purse with me? Because I wasn’t even out of sight of my car. Why had I taken a risk with an unsafe site? There was nothing that indicated it wasn’t safe. What if they had a weapon? Let’s not go there.
You can imagine how you might respond to an emergency, but until you are fully submerged in an adrenaline pumping moment of crisis, you just can’t be sure.
So, what did I learn?
- I learned that I am not a ‘run and hide’ kind of person. Apparently, I am a ‘scream and take condemning pictures’ kind of person. I probably would have guessed this about myself, but now I know for sure that I will never be one of those wimpy women you see in the movies who becomes an emotional puddle while a criminal takes my purse.
- I learned that I should probably never be allowed to own a gun. In that moment, standing between my precious children and the criminals violating my property, I would have emptied the clip first and asked questions later. Momma bear doesn’t even begin to cover it.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a real thing, and although I only experienced a taste of it, I know that it has the potential to be debilitating. There were several nights when I had to talk myself down from the ledge of panic as my brain replayed the ugly scenario in my sleepless bed. There were several days when I had to give myself the mother of all pep talks to muster the courage to venture out on my own again. As much as I wish it wasn’t the case, I will always carry a small scar with me from this experience.
- I learned that I have led a sheltered and naïve life and this has allowed me to have a rosy outlook on the world and the people in it. I have always been a very trusting person and I believe that the world is filled with mostly good and decent people. I am happy to say that I still feel this way about the world, but the shine has been rubbed off just a bit.
- I have learned that life is a series of risks, and whether you are close to home or far away, you cannot avoid the inherent risk of just being alive. Human existence is a risky business. That risk has great power-even the power to control your actions. It would have been easy (although cowardly) for me to take my kids and run as fast as I could back to the “safety” of home. But then I wouldn’t have only lost my purse and phone, I would have lost my freedom to call my own shots and pursue my dreams by exploring the world.
I'm so sorry that this happened to you and the boys, Jessica! You are right though that the world is essentially a good place and that there is risk everywhere so there is no point in staying home hoping to avoid it. I'm sure that you will have many experiences on your MOART that reinforce your belief in humankind and eventually overshadow this bad one.
What a scary experience. It's always interesting to see how you react in those kinds of situations. I think we all have this 'oh I'll be cool I'll just to XYZ" and then it happens and you realise your reactions are nothing like you would have expected. Sadly it's one of those self-learning experiences that can't happen without the horrible situation that brings it about. I've learned since having kids that while I'm great with big pain like labor and breaking my arm, any gash on my kids that requires stitches is likely to have me in a hospital bed next to them holding a bucket as I completley freak out!
There are a lot of things that would make me rethink travel to a particuarly location. Getting caught in a war, violent political/religious protests or a riot … those are risks that we try to avoid and if we can't it really does make you sit back and wonder if leaving the safety of home was the right thing. But I always try to tell myself that things like non-violent breakins and theft (or almost losing a kid on a train in Athens like we did) could happen anywhere. They could have just as easily have happened in our hometown, they're not really specific to travel.
Love your last point! It's a great way to look at it.
I hate that this happened to you guys, but love how you choose to look at it. So glad you were all ok. (And hey, I got to deliver your new phone!)
Oh no! I'm sorry this happened to you so early in your MOART. I got chills reading this especially the part with you confronting the robbers. With these situations, second guessing just comes naturally. I'm just glad you came out of this physically unharmed. Kudos to you for taking a positive spin on this and love your last statement too. Safe travels to you and your family!
I kind of wished you owned a gun, but I'm glad you guys are safe, and I'm particularly glad that you managed to get a few pictures for the police. Hopefully they can get these scumbags locked up soon.
Wow… 1st and foremost I am glad you are all safe. Secondly, I love that you had your wits about you enough to take pictures! Hopefully they are caught soon wth your help. And, like you, I am sure Momma Bear would have been a tame way to put it had my kids been involved. 🙂
I’m sorta undecided about leoefvtrs… Some things are awesome and I make extra of delicious things so I can keep eating it for day’s, other things I have no interest in reheating. DH. Will eat anything leftover, so most days he takes leoefvtrs for lunch.
I agree with Staci, glad you got pics, I would of forgot to take pics! I think I am the in shock person when things happen lol.
Just had leftovers for dnienr to tonight. Not having to cook gave us time to have a nice leisurely walk with the entire family this evening. So nice. I always make sure there are one or two nights in the week where I cook enough for leftovers.
Mama bear is right! I witnessed my dad doing something similar. I had been helping him at his office when I was in high school. He dropped me back at our house after a few hours, and as always waited to make sure I got in OK. I was about to put my key in the lock when I noticed half of our the glass in the door was missing. I backed away and told me dad. He told me to sit across the street on the neighbors porch to see if anyone came out of the house while he went to the nieghbors to call the cops. Well I sure never thought someone would still be IN there! But low and behold a guy came out just as my dad was leaving our neighbors. My dad yelled in a way I had never heard before. The burglar took off at a sprint. My dad jumped in the car and chased him down, eventually driving up on someone's lawn to corner the guy and demanded he empty his pockets. If that isn't a papa bear in action I don't know what was. We got a dog a few months later. My dad didn't want to worry about his girls coming home to strangers inside ever again.
It's funny what you learn about yourself in these types of situations, and others. It often helps to be crazier than the crazy happening in front of you. My situations have never been since kids. I got held up in Los Angeles once and I had a burglar come into my hotel room two nights in a row in the Bahamas.
So glad you were all safe.
This is the kind of story that always gives me goosebumps! Because I travel with the kids solo often, I could so see something like this happening to me. I don't know what I would have done but you handled it well. How did you get another driver's license on the road? That must have been a pain.
Aw man! I hate those days! I’ve certainly had my share too. The great thing about these days is that they make you aaerpcipte the other great days so much more. Hope tomorrow is better and that next week flies by!
So, so scary. My mom was mugged in a hotel parking lot in DC and I think your instincts just take over without actually thinking about what you are doing. So glad you were all safe!
Wow! You are a brave woman! I really admire your courage! Seriously! I don't know what I would have done… I believe you when you say you experienced Post-traumatic stress and that you will always carry a scar from that incident…