I just had a disturbing series of events happen while walking my dog.
I decided to take a different route than normal to train Willow today and came across a little girl who was trying to get out of a fenced in entrance to a large apartment complex. She was cold and crying. I asked her where she lived and she just shook her head and couldn't tell me. She did know she was six. I gave her my coat and she stopped crying. After trying to get other information from her to no avail, I told her she could pet Willow and that we would for someone to let me into the fence. While we waited I looked around to to see if any one was in their yard looking for their child. No one was looking. Soon a neighbor came and said she could take her to the office to find out where she lived. I waited outside while they discussed but made sure I found out what happened. At this point I felt very disturbed because I had let her go into apartment office with out me while I waited at the gate with my dog. "I can trust myself, but I don't know these neighbors." Of course I had the dog, but in this case I should not have let Willow prohibit me from going into the apartment office and making sure this little girl was safe. A great feeling of guilt hit my gut. Those apartments contain some pretty shady occupants. I should have gone in. So I did and met the Apartment leasing associate. The little girl did not live there. We discussed the situation and decided to take her to the school across the street to see if she belonged there.
The leasing agent found the principle. He in turn had security check for a missing child. The school's Spanish interpreter found out the little girl's name while we were waiting, but could not get any other information out of her. Security came back and found no one missing in the class rooms. They are calling the police now. When I heard that, all I could think of was that I didn't want this little girl entering the DCFS system. She had already been tossed around in the process of figuring out where she belonged. If her mom never showed up, then this is where she would end up - an unstable environment for who know how long. It sounds like I am giving a bad rap to DCFS, one has to admit that the State can only do so much for their wards. And there are piles of files in their office of cases where foster care was not successful for one reason or other.
I left my name and number at the office just in case the police needed to call me. And am praying she is ok.
I have so many questions to ask myself and of the world now.
In the big city, one must always think on their toes. I am not good at this. I have had to learn and am getting better, but this world is not nice. I hope this never happens again, but if it does I hope to be more proactive.
My other questions are "what does the police do with her for today?" "Where will she stay?" "How long do they wait for her parents to show up?" The questions go on. I hope to find out the answers. I may even go back over to the school once I get some food in my stomach and have put willow in her crate for a nap.
Thanks for taking time to read my thoughts.
I decided to take a different route than normal to train Willow today and came across a little girl who was trying to get out of a fenced in entrance to a large apartment complex. She was cold and crying. I asked her where she lived and she just shook her head and couldn't tell me. She did know she was six. I gave her my coat and she stopped crying. After trying to get other information from her to no avail, I told her she could pet Willow and that we would for someone to let me into the fence. While we waited I looked around to to see if any one was in their yard looking for their child. No one was looking. Soon a neighbor came and said she could take her to the office to find out where she lived. I waited outside while they discussed but made sure I found out what happened. At this point I felt very disturbed because I had let her go into apartment office with out me while I waited at the gate with my dog. "I can trust myself, but I don't know these neighbors." Of course I had the dog, but in this case I should not have let Willow prohibit me from going into the apartment office and making sure this little girl was safe. A great feeling of guilt hit my gut. Those apartments contain some pretty shady occupants. I should have gone in. So I did and met the Apartment leasing associate. The little girl did not live there. We discussed the situation and decided to take her to the school across the street to see if she belonged there.
The leasing agent found the principle. He in turn had security check for a missing child. The school's Spanish interpreter found out the little girl's name while we were waiting, but could not get any other information out of her. Security came back and found no one missing in the class rooms. They are calling the police now. When I heard that, all I could think of was that I didn't want this little girl entering the DCFS system. She had already been tossed around in the process of figuring out where she belonged. If her mom never showed up, then this is where she would end up - an unstable environment for who know how long. It sounds like I am giving a bad rap to DCFS, one has to admit that the State can only do so much for their wards. And there are piles of files in their office of cases where foster care was not successful for one reason or other.
I left my name and number at the office just in case the police needed to call me. And am praying she is ok.
I have so many questions to ask myself and of the world now.
In the big city, one must always think on their toes. I am not good at this. I have had to learn and am getting better, but this world is not nice. I hope this never happens again, but if it does I hope to be more proactive.
My other questions are "what does the police do with her for today?" "Where will she stay?" "How long do they wait for her parents to show up?" The questions go on. I hope to find out the answers. I may even go back over to the school once I get some food in my stomach and have put willow in her crate for a nap.
Thanks for taking time to read my thoughts.
2 comments:
Dear Readers, the little girls grandfather was found to actually live in the apartment complex she was found at. I still will pray for her and her family.
yay- good to hear that update!
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