My letter to a thief

[SeaShelley]

Hi all,

We are back from our wonderful vacation, which was extended a day thanks to Wilma! We had a great time all in all, but there is just one incident I need to get off my chest and I’m really hoping that writing this open letter will help settle my mind. It may be a bit long, so if you continue reading….thanks.

We arrived in Orlando late Friday night. The girls spent a great day by the pool on Saturday, while my husband, son, dad and BIL were fortunate enough to attend a demonstration given by Tiger Woods at our hotel. We headed off to SeaWorld on Sunday. About 4pm, we headed to the Budweiser building for a cold beer. We stopped by the restrooms, and then headed outside with our drinks to relax a bit. There was a funny bird that my son was fascinated with and wanted to take a picture. I searched my purse and then my son realized he had the camera last, taking pictures of the Clisdales. He ran back into the building and to the window ledge where he had put the camera down before he went into the restroom!!

By now, you can tell where this story is going. The camera was gone and my son was in hysterics. The CM who helped us look was great and he made several contacts on our behalf. We made our way to lost and found that night at closing and have called every day since, but no one turned in our camera. I know it was foolish to let our 11 year old son carry the camera, and he has no idea why he set down the camera rather than giving it to me. The memory card in it had his football pictures, the “going on vacation” pictures and some truly incredible pictures of Tiger at the demonstration on Saturday. I am thankful that if this had to happen, it was on day 3 and not day 8 or 9.

So, if you’ll indulge me just a bit longer, this is the letter I’ve written to the “thief”. Thanks for listening.

To the loser who took our camera,

I hope you are enjoying our digital camera and all our photos. If you were that desperate for a digital camera and felt that it was in some way ok to keep ours that you found on the window ledge at SeaWorld, the very least you could have done was to pop out the memory card and leave that at lost and found so we could have the memories from the first 3 days of our trip. Unfortunately, I know that scum like you don’t think that way. You probably thought, “Hey, this is our lucky day!”

I can only hope that some day, some how, the same loss happens to you…..three-fold. While there is a small part of me that wishes you or someone close to you actual physical harm, I would be just as happy for you to have something stolen from you or from your child. You are truly scum and deserve every bad thing that happens to you.

 

[VSL]

It's really sad that the camera was taken and not turned in, but it could have been a little kid who took it

Wishing someone physical harm and telling them they deserve 'every bad thing that happens' to them seems a bit much IMO

 

[bigsis1970]

Oh I am very sorry to hear of this. I hope you feel better.. Hugs.. Michelle

 

[disneymama73]

I'm so sorry. That's truly awful.

 

[Bob P]

I'm sorry that happened. Have you checked lost and found recently? It's possible someone took it because it was sitting there and then proceeded to turn it in (maybe not right away).

 

[DVCajun]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Stuff like this sucks all the more if it hurts our kids.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Wishing someone physical harm and telling them they deserve 'every bad thing that happens' to them seems a bit much IMO

ITA!! YIKES!!

I know how angry you must feel, I'd be flamming mad too!! I hope this is just your anger talking and you really don't mean what you wrote!! Let's just hope someone steals your camera from them!

 

[Feralpeg]

I'm sorry to hear this happened to your family. A similar thing happened to us at Sea World. When DD was 11, we went into a restroom at Sea World. DD took off her fanny pack and put it on the hook in the restroom. We left the restroom and had been gone not more that two minutes when DD realized she'd left her fanny pack in the stall. We ran back, but it was gone. She lost her camera and all of the pictures she had taken over almost two weeks in Orlando. She also lost 50 Disney Dollars. We filled out papers with Lost & Found, but nothing came of it. DD was so sad that someone would do such a thing in a family vacation spot. It was a hard lesson for her, but something she will never forget.

 

[SeaShelley]

It's really sad that the camera was taken and not turned in, but it could have been a little kid who took it

Wishing someone physical harm and telling them they deserve 'every bad thing that happens' to them seems a bit much IMO

If it was a little kid, then why didn't the parent turn it in?

If you could have seen the anguish my son went through, you would know where I'm coming from when I wish the thief harm. As my letter said, it's a small part of me, but it's there nonetheless.

 

[fozzybear]

Hi, I can tell you are really angry and disappointed by what happened and it is really dreadful that your trip memories have to be spoiled by someone's actions. Just to say, there are lots of people out there who wouldn't do this sort of thing and please try not to let this 'get to you' because then you have lost much more than a camera.

Having said that....yes, I would want to let off some steam about this too and I hope your Son doesn't feel too bad about this, it sounds like just the sort of thing my Son would do!

Rise above it....as we English would say, there may be some dreadful people but the good ones are still in the majority! My 10 year old Daughter dropped a purse with all her Birthday money and gift vouchers when she got out of the car at a car park, we were only at the Bank 10 minutes, but when we got back and realised what had happened it had gone....so I really do sympathise!

 

[mickey12810]

Just remember what goes around comes around and their day will come around eventually. Why is it that people whether old or young feel it is ok to take something that does not belong to them. Some people have no morals or consciences (sp?).

 

[blestmom]

I am so sorry this happened to you. A very similar situation happened to us last year. My daughter left her backpack on the bus to Animal Kingdom with my digital camera in it. We noticed only minutes after getting off the bus, but they were never able to find it. I thought for sure that at Disney, someone would be kind enough to turn it in.

 

[Martha7]

That's really awful to hear. Years ago, when we were bringing my DS back from a night in the hospital, (he had a possible neck injury, which ended up being OK), I set his case with his Sega Game Genie videogame player and games down next to the car as I was loading him in. Of course, I drove away without it. I called the Lost and Found the next day and had no luck. I know exactly how you feel having someone exploit the opportunity to get something for nothing. It just adds insult to injury that they'd steal something from a hospital parking lot or from Disneyworld! I hope they saw your pictures and felt like a jerk later! Too bad these things don't have tracking devices in them! Anyway, I hope your DS feels better. You can tell him about our experience so that he sees that this can happen to adults too!

 

[melomouse]

SeaShelley -

I am so so sorry this happened to you. The only thing that reduced my anger at having my camera "taken" from the train in Toontown at MK 4 years ago - with the what were to be the LAST photos of my DH - was that I had an extra disposable tucked away in a packback I had forgotten about til long after our trip.There were a couple of shots of him there...

I was also pretty well distracted as DH was in Celebration Health. I did report it to Lost & Found and kept checking back - to no avail...

On the positive side, WDW found BOTH my kids autograph books on Buzz at the MNSSHP a couple of years ago and sent them back. Ditto DS' backpack this recent visit.

OTOH - pix are documentation of the memories.. the real ones are in your heart. At least that what I tell myself about that camera.... but I AM sorry - both my kids think about it every time we have gone back!!! I know your DS is having a hard time...

melomouse

 

[mommaU4]

If you could have seen the anguish my son went through, you would know where I'm coming from when I wish the thief harm. As my letter said, it's a small part of me, but it's there nonetheless.

I am so very sorry that happened to you and your family especially your son. And you have every right to feel the way you do. Don't let anyone else make you feel worse for being furious over this incident.

However, having said that, I truly hope that you can rise above what this person did to you and not let them ruin your memories of the rest of the trip. If your son sees you so angry he might feel even more guilty and I know that is not what you want. I hope that you have reinforced to him that it was not his fault, people make mistakes. And that, while this was a huge disappointment, you all still have your memories of those first few days and everyone returned from the trip safe, happy and healthy.

And when you feel yourself getting pissed (can I use that word here?) calmly excuse yourself from the room, close your bedroom door, and beat the crap out of the pillows!! Soon you'll feel better. I promise.

 

[SeaShelley]

Thank you all for the responses. Yes, I was venting and would no more wish physical harm on someone than I would actually harm them myself, but in this case the pain my son went through that day got the best of me. I felt more comfortable putting it in writing here as I didn't want to rant like this in front of my son. He has learned a painful, yet valuable lesson and he is helping us pay for the new camera my husband bought the next day. He has apologized to us every day since it happened.

As mickey12810 said, what goes around comes around and that is what I'm truly hoping for with this loser.

We will call SeaWorld later this week in the off chance that someone had a change of heart, but I don't hold out much hope.

Aside from this incident, our vacation was wonderful, the memories magical, and I am glad to be home safe & sound.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Not to sound catty, but if you leave your cameras on window ledges and such, they are just asking to be stolen. Chalk it up to a lesson learned. If the camera and it's contents were that valuable, it needs to be taken care of and kept a closer eye on.

Wishing bodily harm on someone? A little much.

 

[ainmama2001]

When I was about 10 or 11 my brother owned a deli. We stopped there (with my parents) to get a snack. I had a little denim tote bag with rainbow straps. In it I had a little mirror, my wallet with the pictures of my new nephew and two dollars. We had a van then with the tilt out windows. It also had MY camera in it with pictures I had just taken during a recent vacation. Someone reached in and stole it off the seat. I was DEVASTATED. I completely understand how your son feels. I'm 35 years old and it still pisses me off!!!!!!!!

 

[DVCajun]

Not to sound catty, but if you leave your cameras on window ledges and such, they are just asking to be stolen. Chalk it up to a lesson learned. If the camera and it's contents were that valuable, it needs to be taken care of and kept a closer eye on.

Wishing bodily harm on someone? A little much.

Sorry, but "catty" doesn't quite cover it. She was letting off some steam-- give the self-righteous act a rest for crying out loud.

 

[SeaShelley]

Not to sound catty, but if you leave your cameras on window ledges and such, they are just asking to be stolen. Chalk it up to a lesson learned. If the camera and it's contents were that valuable, it needs to be taken care of and kept a closer eye on.

Wishing bodily harm on someone? A little much.

Gee, wish I had thought of that! If you were not trying to sound catty, you failed.

I was using this post as a place to vent. Believe me, it is a lesson learned...an expensive one. We have also used this experience as a lesson to my son that there are bad people everywhere who don't think twice about taking something that doesn't belong to them...even if they find it just sitting around on a window ledge. That person knew it didn't belong to them and took it anyway.

I know my comment may have sounded harsh, but I challenge any mother not to feel this way, even for a moment, about someone who has caused their child pain, physical or emotional.