Written and Edited April 28th, 2017 - 12:52 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Edited - April 28th, 2017 - 1:38 pm to 1:40 pm
Edited - May 22nd, 2017 - 4:22 pm to 4:38 pm
A Time to Steal and a Time for Restorative Justice
I'm sharing this story the best way the I remember it.
One time, I think that I was about twelve years old, I was at a department store. The way I remember it is that I saw a watch on the counter and nobody was around and I ended up taking the watch.
Later I was playing with Hugh Bailey. We were sitting on the front steps of the Cypress Street house just sitting around talking with him. Hugh was about a couple of years younger than me. I told him about the watch and that I stole it. His response was something like, "you stole it?" Consciously, I thought they knew that I stole it. But, I wonder if my confession was unconscious in a way. A way of getting attention or letting someone know what I have done. As soon as I told Hugh what I did, he went up to the house and knocked on the door. Hugh went to his mother, told her and then his mother told my mother what happened.
As soon as my mother knew that I had stolen the watch, she said she's going to take us down to the store and I have to talk to the manager and apologize. At that point I was extremely nervous. My stomach was turning and my heart was beating fast. That was the last thing that I wanted to do. I understood there had to be some kind of consequence but I would have done anything else but that at that point.
so my mother and I went to the store and found the manager. I am I told him what I had done and return the watch. I don't remember exactly what happened but I think that he said something about maybe having to raise prices because of people stealing or something like that period I think I got I think I got to learn his perspective.
Looking back, that was somewhat of a restorative process. It was a way to make a human connection and understand different perspectives which included the manager's perspective. It gave me an appreciation and understanding at a human level which connected me directly with some of the people affected by my actions.
I'm also reflecting on now at the intersection of race and maybe gender. I'm designated a white male which gave me privelige in that situation of getting away with it except for my own acknowledgement or admitting it. And then, when it was known, the response was to connect with direct sources and have natural consequences. And Hugh and his mother are designated people of color whom are effected by structural racism which is an outgrowth of a dominant culture or way of being.
But people who are designated outside dominant social constructs, especially males of color are attacked without doing anything wrong. Or if there is counterbalance, not addressed in a wholistic and restorative process to enhance all of our lives in the future.
I just realized, a few minutes ago at about 1:32 p.m., I made the connection but I was on the other side of that. About four to six years later when I was working at a store and I watched over a couple, people who are of color. That's another story which I'll probably call Help Wanted.