For English class I'm reading A Visit From the Goon Squad, in which the protagonist is a troubled young woman who has a problem with "taking things" (in her words)--meaning, she relishes the exhilaration of stealing from street people (a child's scarf, a pair of glasses, etc) and hoards her "trophies" in her apartment. Interestingly, she never touches the stolen items again, after the deed of stealing.
This got me thinking. I believe it's fair to say that as children, we've all stolen a thing or two, whether it be from other people, or from stores. For example, I myself have stolen a manga play-card from a total stranger at a weekend tutoring school. And a bag of Skittles, when I was ten. That time I had an accomplice, my childhood best friend. I remember feeling simultaneously horrible and excited and scared. It was indeed a feeling that not much else can evoke.
That said, I'm not stealing anymore, obviously, now that I'm an adult. But I wouldn't do anything to change my childhood "stealing experiences," for they are a part of my dearest memories from when I was an ignorant little girl.
Now, my question: Have you stolen something before? If so, what is it? How did/do you feel about it? Why do you think people steal as an obsession?
xx
Vanessa :]
