Cherry Lifesavers Saved Me from a Life of Crime

One day when I was four years old, my grandmother took me with her to the A&P supermarket to get groceries. We were waiting in the checkout line when I spotted that pretty, red roll of Cherry Lifesavers at eye level in the candy display near the counter. I'm sure there was a noticeable sparkle in my eye as my mouth began to water. I loved Cherry Lifesavers! Cherry was my favorite flavor! I stashed the roll in one of my red mittens. Both mittens dangled from the sleeves of my red winter coat. They were attached to each other in my coat by a long red string. No losing those mittens! I knew my savory cargo would be secure. No one, not even Grandma saw me take them.

I probably would have gotten away with the misdemeanor but I impetuously decided that I just had to have one as we walked out those big automatic doors at the A&P. I was just about to work my fingers through the foil wrap on one end, when Grandma noticed my unjust prize and snatched the roll from my hands.

"You know better"! She gave me one of those disapproving looks. "We don't steal. Come on, I want you to return those to the manager". I was incredulous. Couldn't she just pay for them? Why was she going to embarrass me and make a big production out of this? I knew I had made a mistake. What I didn't know was that she wanted to have me get a lesson in taking responsibility for my actions-especially illegal ones. Boy, did I get that lesson.

The manager was the tallest man I ever remember meeting. (Maybe he seemed so tall because I was less than 3 feet high at the time). He was not in a good mood. From the moment I saw him, I was terrified. When we approached, my grandmother handed him the Cherry Lifesavers and they exchanged some words in grown-up speak. Then he looked at me with a look of annoyed disgust on his face. "Do you have the money to pay me for this candy?" I shook my head and stammered, "No". He barked, "You're lucky I don't call the police. The next time you steal anything from my store, I'll have the police put you in jail!"

My eyes went round as pies! Grandma made me apologize to the manager and promise never to steal again. He just kept looking at me with disgust and a huge frown on his face that you'd want to throw a pie at. I stared over my shoulder at him as Grandma led me out of the big automatic doors again. Thinking about it then and now, I have concluded he was a big jerk for treating such a little girl so harshly. It was just a pack of Cherry Lifesavers! Then again, I have never stolen anything since, not even a penny.

Through the years, if I was even the least little bit tempted to take or keep something that didn't belong to me, I'd get visions of those Cherry Lifesavers. I'd see that big, grouchy store manager's disgusted, angry face. I never got mad at my grandmother for snitching on me. I know she did it to stop me from following that tempting, dangerous path towards a life of crime. It was a path that would most likely lead to a permanent residence in the big house. It was tough love. On a four year old's scale, the Cherry Lifesavers lesson was monumental.