Just before Christmas, when I was a kid of about 15 or so....

[angstlessk]

I was in a bathroom when a girl left her pocketbook on the sink when she went into the bathroom stall. I stole her purse and gave away all it's contents, including the money...I just wanted the purse, cause I was 15 and didn't own a purse.

I gave her driver's license to a friend, who got pulled over, and showed her license to the cop! I was sitting beside her, and she gave me up! Surprise! I Admitted to the crime, and went to court.

I told the judge I just wanted the purse, and everything just seemed to go away. Not sure what happened?

Anyway, that Christmas, under the tree was a beautiful purse! I still cry after 50 years!

[Mike Nelson]

1. The court...

...probably saw you knew it was wrong. They were correct. And, now it makes a wonderful Christmas story!

[LeftInTX]

2. You were lucky

I had numerous run-ins and ended up on juvenile probation. It consisted of curfew of 7 pm for 1 month. When I successfully completely that, I had 9 months of curfew of 7 on weeknights and 10 on weekends.

I was a senior in high school.

[hamsterjill]

4. I would never have pictured you as a bad-ass!!! LOL

Glad you 'reformed" and reformed to the right side!!!

[hedda_foil]

3. When I was in 8th grade, a girl stole my new imitation gold clutch purse.

It slid off my pile of books as I walked home from school, and i didn't realize it was gone for a few steps. Whoever took it was seemingly gone so I enlisted my friends and a cousin who was a semester ahead of me. I was determined to get that purse back. My cousin found out who took it a few days later, so i went to the culprit's apartment to get it back. She tried to bluff it out but i was unyielding and after a few minutes she gave me the purse. After I left in triumph, I looked at the inside of the purse more closely. She had written angrily all over the red satin lining in ballpoint pen. I never used that purse again... probably because I realized that the thief was poor and jealous of the girls whose parents could buy them things like a gold purse for Christmas.

[angstlessk]

5. I wasn't jealous, I was envious

My mother during those days was drinking and not much of a mother...I dated a lieutenant who went to viet nam...and I was 14!

[hedda_foil]

7. This happened in Chicago almost 60 years ago.

I don't know if it was envy or jealousy that led the other girl to grab my purse and run but I hope life got better for her when she grew up.

[oasis]

6. Thank you for sharing that beautiful story.