Over the summer I have had a few experiences with people who don’t follow the basic rules in life. Oftentimes I read about them in social media, but I have stories of my own about integrity and honesty which I feel are worth sharing.
The other week I was at a coffee shop with some fellow writers. Naturally the shop had a merchandise table, so I added a tee shirt to my purchases for the afternoon (along with my pastry and parfait). I dutifully brought the items to the cashier, and tapped my credit card. When I got home later, however, I realized that, even though I had placed the tee shirt on the counter, it wasn’t rung up with my purchases.
Some folks might be thinking, “It’s their loss if they weren’t paying attention.” To me, though, this tee shirt still does not belong to me. This means a trip of some 20 miles to go back and pay for it. My conscience will thank me later.
My most recent big shocker about integrity came when I went to buy some supplies at a major chain whose name I won’t divulge for reasons you will see in a moment. I came out of the store with a little bag for an upcoming project, and the total bill came to over $100. The cashier told me I could become a rewards member and get this discount and that offer to offset my purchase, and while we were discussing it, I was told the story of how certain people make a regular visit to the store with the sole purpose of robbery, to the tune of thousands of dollars. The store personnel are advised by corporate–as they are in many stores and chains–to not engage.
This means that the money you spend honestly is being thwarted by those who steal. The stores may end up in bankruptcy and shutting down because of these dishonest johns making a mockery of the process of earning and spending for their own greed and eventual doom.
Stay with me now, because we are going to go to the lectern in front of the church for a few minutes to make a point.
One of the Ten Commandments specifies not to steal. Okay, you think, this means that the folks who rob the store are in big trouble from On High. It’s worse than that. Because these people are absconding with large value items not for their own use, but to pad their pockets with tax-free income. They will put their pilfered products on the market in back-alley thrifty retailers, street corner vendors or through private commerce. Every cent they make will be profit because they only used gas funds on the getaway car to get the stuff.
So what, you ask?
Using an example made famous by late comedian George Carlin, let’s dig deep here and see where this path goes. First, the ringleader decides, “I’m going to go to (store) and nab some stuff.” They then employ assistants to help them with the heist, so now you have the ringleader who has concocted a sin, and a few others committing the same sin. They plan out the heist, which is a sin. They go to the place and bring paraphernalia to commit the actual sin. They make it out of the store, unhindered, with their ill-gotten merchandise, and the sins keep piling up. They now divide the spoils among themselves (another sin), send it off for resale (another sin) and collect their cuts (ad nauseum).
But wait, there’s more.
The people stocking and repricing it are sinning. The so-called innocent consumers buying the stuff are also sinning. If you’re buying a $200 item on a street corner for $80, you must know something is wrong with how that item is sitting in front of you; if you do it anyway, you’re contributing to that wrong.
If these thieves can concoct such elaborate processes, they could have a legitimate job that did not have police battering down their doors. Instead, they are bringing the entire system of commerce down, and us with it.
There is a reason why there are products labeled Good, Better and Best. Your income can determine which you can afford, or your determination can earn you something in a higher price range by saving for it. All products are supposedly monitored for quality, so the lowest-priced version should work well, and the higher- with some minor differences. What’s important is that the product does its job.
My mother always looked at how car dealers tout the beauty of what their newest model looks like on the outside, but when you’re driving it you can’t see how it looks. You’re more concerned that it will consistently get you where you need to be. With your needs and your wallet in mind, you should find something in a price range for you without resorting to fibbing about how thick your wallet is.
I don’t feel guilty buying off-label, but I allow for some nice things in my budget, which was why I was in this particular store willing to buy a handful of things for $100. They will last me for months, so the breakdown in actual cost is small.
The folks who take stuff while I’m buying them will deal with the fallout at some point in their lives. Meanwhile, I do my best to be honest and proud to say I have a receipt.
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