I went down to my car at 10 in the morning only to find the driver side door slightly ajar and the inside ransacked. I first assumed that my boyfriend had somehow managed to slip out quietly in the middle of the night and rummage through the car in search of some Advil. My glove-box was left open, my center console was open, and my visors were pulled down. I didn't notice anything was missing. Then, just out of curiosity I looked in the trunk. My tennis rackets were still there, but all our camping stuff was gone - tent, sleeping bags and pillows.

I went back upstairs, half-way hoping there was at least a silly explanation for this. So I woke my boyfriend, "Um, did you go to the car last night to look for that Advil?"

"No."

"Well, I think someone broke into my car."

"Are you sure?"

Well, no, I wasn't sure. In fact, I was pretty sure this couldn't possibly happen. I always lock my door. My car has an alarm on it. In fact, my friends and I have accidentally set it off several times. Would it not have gone off if it indeed were actually being broken into?

Turns out, NO! My car DID get broken into. YES this is happening to me. And NO, my car alarm did not go off!

They took a $600 camera, a tent, two sleeping bags and my pillows. PILLOWS!! Why would you take my two pillows and NOT my empty Coach purse in the front seat?!

Who the hell are you?!!

For the first few minutes, I figured it had to be a joke. But now, 24 hours later, I can see that it is no joke.

It makes me sick. I live in Broad Ripple because it's full of people like me. Young, or young-at-heart, good-natured, friendly, independent people (sometimes referred to as hippies, but never in a derogatory way). Who would ride up to my quaint, EXTREMELY WELL-HIDDEN-behind-some-trees apartment and takes advantage of my car??!! For the sake of Broad Ripple, I will assume it was some out-of-towners or some transplants from another side of town that don't know exactly how Broad Ripple works, because I just can't bring myself to believe that anyone in this small village would do that to me.

Not these people that I see daily, have breakfast, lunch and dinner with and whom I spend my evenings and the wee hours of the morning with: my neighbors. Not even the kids on the bridge. We're of the same cosmic fibers!

But if it is you, you should know it makes me sick! I can't imagine how you can steal from your FAMILY, your brothers and sisters of Broad Ripple.

One day, you won't be so lucky as to get away with something like this. Your luck will change and you will grow angry with this small village that you are pillaging. You'll blame it for your downfall and you'll turn to your buddies and say, "I hate Broad Ripple," and you'll eventually hate it so much you'll leave, because our village as an organism has turned it's stomach on you and expelled you. And we'll be a better family for it.

-Rebecca Davidson