Personally I hate the idea of stealing. I think that being a thief is more than overrated, and just outright wrong. I remember when I was probably seven or eight, my brother Mikhail and I went to Burdines with our mother after church one Sunday. I saw a pair of blue sunglasses that had the flip up lens. I thought they were the coolest things since wearing Space Jam clothing everywhere (yes I loved that movie). I carried them everywhere around that Burdines, clenching them tight with high hopes that my mom would purchase these glasses along with her items. Finally, after long minutes of lingering throughout the women's department, my mother decided that she was ready to make her purchase. The Moment of Truth: I remember this so vividly, we went to a register that had no line.
The young lady called us up to the counter and greeted us with a smile. She took the items from my mom, scanned them, and desensitized them. I then proceeded to hand the glasses to the young lady, but before I could get them to her, my mom stopped me and said no. I tried reasoning with her, but she would not budge. My heart was broken (not really). I just could not leave that store without those glasses, so i stuffed them in my pocket when no one was looking. I felt so guilty when we were leaving the store, but in my mind, all of that would disappear when I put those smooth looking glasses on. We finally made it to the door leading outside, and of course there was a security guard at the door. "What if he knew?" I thought. But we made it past and to the outside. I decided it was time for a test drive of my new fresh shades. I took them out of my pocket and put them on. I was right. My sense of guilt that was killing me in the store went away. I felt like the coolest kid ever. Then my mom saw me. She went off. I had just committed a crime and gave myself away within minutes. My mom told me she was going to turn me in to the authorities since I wanted to be a theif, and we walked back to the store. I was so scared. Long story short she had the security guard talk to me about stealing, and made me say sorry. We went on about our day.
Point of this whole story? That Sunday afternoon, on our drive home from Burdines, I did a lot of thinking in my eight year old mind. I decided that I would never steal from any one ever again. A fear of the things that could happen to me if I did, and a sense of just knowing that it is more than morally wrong to steal entered my thoughts, and I have felt the same ever since. If you can't afford to buy it, then maybe you should not have it, is my mindset. I just wish that everyone would think about it like that. But the reality is that people just don't.
I hate when I notice young people come into my work-place and attempt to steal or actually steal. They just have that same thought process that I had. "This is so cool, and I can't leave without it." So they steal it, and get caught. Automatically their whole life is changed, because now they have a record of some sort. It may not be big, but it's there. But for what though? A 25 dollar hat? or some 8 dollar socks? Tonight I witnessed an attempted theft by a 16 year old, and my heart hurt, low-key, but it hurt. This young man just messed up himself for something he doesn't need.
I don't know this kid from Timbuktu, but oddly enough I was saddened to know that my generation can be so superficial to the point where someone would steal so they can keep up with the latest trends. I know it may seem like I'm preaching tonight, but I just think that people should understand that they should never steal.It's better to say that you earned the ability to buy all the things you own, and not know that you stole from the legacy of someone else, in order to be trendy. Honesty is good for the soul.
Other than that, be enlightened always my peeps.
The young lady called us up to the counter and greeted us with a smile. She took the items from my mom, scanned them, and desensitized them. I then proceeded to hand the glasses to the young lady, but before I could get them to her, my mom stopped me and said no. I tried reasoning with her, but she would not budge. My heart was broken (not really). I just could not leave that store without those glasses, so i stuffed them in my pocket when no one was looking. I felt so guilty when we were leaving the store, but in my mind, all of that would disappear when I put those smooth looking glasses on. We finally made it to the door leading outside, and of course there was a security guard at the door. "What if he knew?" I thought. But we made it past and to the outside. I decided it was time for a test drive of my new fresh shades. I took them out of my pocket and put them on. I was right. My sense of guilt that was killing me in the store went away. I felt like the coolest kid ever. Then my mom saw me. She went off. I had just committed a crime and gave myself away within minutes. My mom told me she was going to turn me in to the authorities since I wanted to be a theif, and we walked back to the store. I was so scared. Long story short she had the security guard talk to me about stealing, and made me say sorry. We went on about our day.
Point of this whole story? That Sunday afternoon, on our drive home from Burdines, I did a lot of thinking in my eight year old mind. I decided that I would never steal from any one ever again. A fear of the things that could happen to me if I did, and a sense of just knowing that it is more than morally wrong to steal entered my thoughts, and I have felt the same ever since. If you can't afford to buy it, then maybe you should not have it, is my mindset. I just wish that everyone would think about it like that. But the reality is that people just don't.
I hate when I notice young people come into my work-place and attempt to steal or actually steal. They just have that same thought process that I had. "This is so cool, and I can't leave without it." So they steal it, and get caught. Automatically their whole life is changed, because now they have a record of some sort. It may not be big, but it's there. But for what though? A 25 dollar hat? or some 8 dollar socks? Tonight I witnessed an attempted theft by a 16 year old, and my heart hurt, low-key, but it hurt. This young man just messed up himself for something he doesn't need.
I don't know this kid from Timbuktu, but oddly enough I was saddened to know that my generation can be so superficial to the point where someone would steal so they can keep up with the latest trends. I know it may seem like I'm preaching tonight, but I just think that people should understand that they should never steal.It's better to say that you earned the ability to buy all the things you own, and not know that you stole from the legacy of someone else, in order to be trendy. Honesty is good for the soul.
Other than that, be enlightened always my peeps.
