People Suck: A Woman Claims That Karma Will Catch Up With the Person Who Stole Her Garden Gnome.
When Melissa Desiervo, a resident of Laramie, Wyoming, posted on Facebook that Mister Garden Gnome, her garden ornament, had been stolen, she expected neither a flood of support nor a new garden gnome.
For over two years, Mr. Garden Gnome stoically guarded Melissa Desiervo's planter in her backyard on 9th Street in Laramie, Wyoming.
Like a real garden gnome, he protected the tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and everything else Melissa Desiervo planted each season. By day, he was an inconspicuous guardian, and by night, he helped ensure a bountiful harvest.
It seems Mr. Garden Gnome protected everything in the planter except himself.
"Someone stole my garden gnome in a really mean way," Mrs. Desiervo posted on the Laramie Classifieds Facebook page. "He always sat right here, in front of the ferns and the flower cart. People suck. Sigh."
A photo accompanying the post shows an empty space on the left where Mr. Garden Gnome used to sit, next to a handful of other garden ornaments: a small carriage, a ceramic frog, a scarecrow, a birdhouse, and even Mr. Garden Gnome's little brother, who sat on a mushroom.
A Morning to Remember
When she noticed that Mr. Garden Gnome was gone, Mrs. Desiervo was first sad and then angry.
"He just vanished," she told the Cowboy State Daily. "I have a small collection of lawn ornaments, and it was only the garden gnome that had disappeared. None of the others were missing. So I knew the wind hadn't blown him away."
The 25-cm gnome with his bright red hat, blue coat, and habit of leaning on a stick is pretty standard for garden gnomes, she said.
"I could feel his absence," she said, adding that the ceramic gnome with the yellow vest who stood next to Mr. Garden Gnome was "pretty sad, but he can't wait to see his new friend again."
Finally, There Is Hope for Humanity
When she saw the reactions, she discovered that there were many garden gnome lovers in Laramie who flooded her with support.
"The fact that so many people commented on the post and shared my grief over the loss is impressive," she said. "Several people offered to give me a new one. That is heartwarming. That is what I love about Laramie.
Although she wishes the person who stole the figurine no ill, Desiervo believes in karma and believes that the universe will not be kind to the person who stole her friend.
"I can't imagine what adventures he will experience now, but I hope he doesn't get broken," Mrs. Desiervo said.
She is now looking forward to painting the new garden gnome that her neighbors gave her and giving him a name. She hopes there will be a better future for him and the other garden gnomes in Laramie.
And for those who stole Mr. Garden Gnome, you'd better hope Desiervo never finds you.