June 10, 2006
Age and cunning will win out over youth and skill every time!
So says my brother John, a retired high school science teacher. He and his wife, Diane, also a former teacher, are enjoying retirement in Colorado. Diane’s sister, Marge, who is another a retired teacher, lives nearby.
Any youth up to no good would be wise to not mess with them.
Together, they have more than 90 years of teaching experience. They have heard every excuse and have witnessed every attempt to deceive.
Our story begins while these three were sitting with friends on Marge’s back deck.
As they were chatting and laughing, dog Aussie began barking wildly when the door bell started ringing. Marge hurriedly made her way to the front door where she encountered our young antagonist, a pleasant 14-year-old who said he was her new paperboy. He just dropped by to introduce himself. That’s all.
Marge returned to the group and remarked how odd that encounter was. Something sounded “fishy.”
After the guests left, Diane realized she needed her purse and walked to the front of the house where she had left it in plain view, just six feet from the front door.
You will not be surprised to learn that her wallet was missing.
Diane reported, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the 14-year-old paper boy with the fishy story was probably the culprit.” The front door had been unlocked with her purse located just inside.
Most folks would have called the Sheriff’s Department, and left it at that.
Not these retired teachers.
After they reported the crime, this bunch was just getting started.
Their search begins.
Knowing that time was critical in finding the perpetrator and collecting proof, the teachers got right to work. After all, they were veterans of numerous such search and discovery missions during their many years of teaching.
Marge began driving around the neighborhood to see if she could find the kid. John, meanwhile, walked to a nearby canal to see if he could find the kid’s tracks, just in case he had tried to throw the billfold into the water. Diane manned command central at the house and waited on the law.
In mere minutes, Marge found the boy at a nearby convenience store. She guessed correctly--where else would a kid go to spend his loot but a convenient place.
Diane added, “We told Marge not to confront him if she found him, but a lot of good that did. After all, she had confronted countless kids over the years. This one was no different. He shouldn’t be messing with Marge.”
Marge’s hunt proved successful.
Next, she told the boy, “the little knot head” as they were now fondly calling him, “Law enforcement has been called and they are on their way.”
The kid said he was waiting on his boss, that’s all; he didn’t do anything.
Confident that they could never prove anything against him, he agreed to go back and talk to the officer and returned willingly to the scene of the crime.
The deputy arrives.
The story continues.
Although the kid was a skilled liar and showed absolutely no remorse, he began to give a grand performance, swearing that he would never steal anything and even cried.
The tears were a nice touch, but not every effective in convincing seasoned teachers.
The reinforcements arrive.
John gets back from searching the canals with no luck.
Marge, being the good detective that she is, had gathered this piece of information while at the convenience store—the boy had used the bathroom and the phone while he was there.
John was immediately dispatched by Marge and Diane to go “dumpster diving” to search the trash cans at the store.
Meanwhile, the deputy was having no luck in getting the kid to admit his involvement.
The “aha” moment appeared quickly enough though.
In just a few minutes, they saw John rounding the corner by Marge’s house carrying a trash bag retrieved from the bathroom of the convenience store. The bag was clear, and in the bottom, one could easily see Diane’s wallet.
The deputy asked John if he had touched anything in the bag; John said no; he had plenty of experience with bathroom searches during high school drug hunts.
The kid, who was waiting self-assuredly in the back of the patrol car, now looked like he would faint. Suddenly, it dawned on him that his fingerprints were on the wallet, the deputy had the wallet, and he was “toast.”
The truth came pouring out almost instantly—he admitted he took the wallet.
Case solved.
On that particular day, the poor kid simply chose the wrong house to burglarize.
Three retired teachers with 90 plus years of experience with lying kids could not be hoodwinked. They knew exactly where kids stash their loot—the bathroom trash can.
Just like John said, youth and skill is no match for age and cunning.
Marge adds a bit of her own teacher’s wisdom--teachers are always looking for “teachable moments”. The teachable moment here, according to Marge, is to learn to always keep your doors locked even in the daytime!
