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I've often thought about the differences between being mature and a resposible adult compared to ones seemingly wreckless youth. I think it's inherent for adolescents to want to be mischievous, part of being a kid, and growing up, sometimes at just a whim, maybe most times, other times not, but they don't realize the consequences of their actions or what is going too far, think about being a kid, the boundaries in the world are endless. I also think that it's a job well done for any parent that can educate them a bit on the subject and actually get through to them about these and lots of other things that are a bad influence, but without sheltering them. Kids will and want to be kids, when it comes to vandalism and lots of other things, usually starts with someone elses influence, I can remember getting roped into bombing cars with eggs or something and many other stupid things similar, most typical of any youth, that would get you into trouble, and your parents would probably get a laugh out of when behind closed doors, after they punished you, but being malicious, destructive, dangerous by doing things beyond what used to be clean fun, no harm done, that is where they need some support. We had a sense of where to draw the line or not succomb to peer pressure, and most of our parents were very busy then, we figured things out on our own, because we had to. Sometimes drugs, alcohol or someone with a really bad attitude is going to influence others, peer pressure, have to do it to be cool, rite of passage, what have you, and parents that don't take the time to do their best to help and support a kid while growing up, kids are smart, problem is getting through to them in a way that works and puts them on the same level, remember when you were a kid, some people you would listen to and respect, others would be just the opposite. I can remember a lot of good natured people that were fun and others that were just miserable, no one listens to people like that. Today it's different, I remember if you had a beef with someone, you'd settle it out in the back, behind the church was our spot, you know with the circle of people around, when it was over the worst you had a was bloody nose or a black eye. Now they find guns and other weapons, gangs that kill, and all the rest that is different from earlier generations, vandalism, graffiti etc. is a lot different than the shaving cream, eggs, tomatoes, toilet paper and or what may have been the line years ago. I can recall doing some stupid things, most harmless, some dangerous, but we also spent most of our time doing things that were a lot more fun, like digging in the old farm dumps, I think it has a lot to do with the people in and around any kids life, the time spent with them and what they do, my parents did not spend much if any time with me as a kid, I think I was smart enought to stay out of trouble for the most part, but would have really enjoyed sports a little more, doing a little shooting, and always liked any kind of equipment, with activities like those and others, you don't have a lot of time to cause trouble. One thing is for sure, kids will be kids on halloween, mischief night etc. and even with the best parents, support and education on the reality of things when you eff up, they will still push it, so probably best to not leave them any targets or fuel the fire. We used to go to an abandoned cemetery on halloween, very old and unkept, had one leg find a rotted pine box, fell right in I did, the place was a business venture at the turn of the century but went bust, they should have filmed a movie there, supposedly haunted, we would bring some beer, hide and drink, get chased out by a sweep by the police, they were coming while we were drinking behind a headstone, was smoking a cigar and the smoke was rising in the cool crisp fall air illuminated by the moon, what a scene, we'd leave, and I never saw or knew anyone who vandalized the place, the graves that were left were always respected, people would just kind of roam around in there, most of the damage was done years before or was from neglect, they did clean up the place, does not have the same character it did then, funny though, everyone is different, none of us had any trouble with alcohol or drugs then, couple of beers was the extent of it, just like it is today, moderation, and good ole clean fun.
We've had a lot of vandalism near a local college, but the perpetrators have been caught, by a special patrol that has been working, they were slashing tires and breaking glass, things we would never do when that age, not sure why it's different today.
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