Slash and Burn
It was 6:00 am. After automatically waking up 30 minutes before my alarm, I seized the opportunity to run to the convenience store to purchase two Reese peanut butter cups for our oldest son Ian’s peanut allergy test at 8:30 am. Had I not acted on my task-oriented instinct, I would not have noticed the two flat tires on our Sienna mini van in time to still make it to the appointment.
We quickly called Triple A. My husband planned to take the other vehicle to work, but stopped in his tracks to find all four of his tires were slashed. We usually keep both vehicles in the garage. They were only on the drive because we had to move all the items out of our backyard sheds into the garage to make room for the neighbor’s new fence.
Quick action allowed the tow truck driver to drop the kids and me off at the allergy clinic. My husband rode with the other driver to the Downtown Firestone with both of our vehicles.
Now we do not live in the hood. In fact, we’re a block away from the eastside police headquarters. So thoughts started circulating in my mind: who would have done something like this to us and why. Not to be a legend in my own mind, I wondered if it had something to do with the kickoff of the K4J School of Virtue I was directing at our kids’ school. I know I had heard of prominent pro-life leaders like Barbara McQuigan experiencing threats of violence.
I made a commitment to make sure I prayed my rosary each day and to add a daily prayer to St. Micheal the Archangel for extra protection.
I felt comforted that my imagination was getting away with me after my husband share that the tow truck drivers reported multiple tire slashing and window breaking in our neighborhood, including the tires of several police vehicles. The local police kept things quiet. A gang initiation might have driven the vandalism.
A day and a half later my exaggerated fears tamed, repaired tires and returned vehicles help things to return to normal—for about thirty minutes.
Check out what happened next in my next blog.
The Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Tip: In times of crisis, look for the positive, lean on your Catholic faith, and take the next step in front of you.
