"The label you give yourself cannot impact external forces that are not motivated by your own psychology or influenced by a third party's pre-existing consciousness of you. We are all presented with reasons to struggle which come from completely external forces; to pretend that one is not struggling is either arrogance or an admission of defeat. To admit that one is struggling is a sign and a source of strength." - Evan A. Baker

Thursday, November 5, 2009

An Open Letter to the CoWorker Who Stole $80 From My Purse

Dear Fellow CoWorker:

Okay, yes, at first I was angry, because hey! That's MY money! And I need that money! That's why I had it in the first place. I worked hard to get it, and allow myself only a certain amount of cash on me as an allowance to myself.

But I get it. Times are really frikkin hard right now. This is probably not your only job. You probably do not have any days off. You probably work more than 12 hours a day all week just to survive. You most likely have a child or two, and you are praying to God that you or them do not get sick because you have no health insurance, that you can't afford the time off to care for them, and cannot afford to not work as much and as hard as you do.

You might have family elsewhere who are even worse off than you are. You might have maxed out all your credit cards. You must be at your wits end. Because you went into the locker room, opened the lockers, found my purse, took it out, found my wallet, opened it and took the cash all with the door open and in plain view of anyone who walked into the dish station, which is all the time. You could've been caught red handed, but you risked all this because you probably do not have any other choice right now.

I'm sure this makes you feel tremendous guilt, that if you only had more money, you wouldn't have to do this. I understand how you feel. I'm having a bit of a financial crisis myself.

But I do have enough room on my credit card to buy a lock. I hope you understand.

All the best,
Lira

5 comments:

  1. This is a much nicer letter than I would have written.

    You're a good human being, Lira.

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  2. I do not appreciate people that steal. Grr. Hopped in here from Phoenix's blog, cute layout. :)

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  3. If I was there I would buy you a frappuccino and spoon you.

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  4. It would be so easy to just be pissed. But, you know, you're probably at least 80 to 90% right about this person....if not more.
    When this sort of thing happens to me, I just think, "I'm sorry for them. I'd rather be me than be him/her."

    Something super good is coming your way, lady! :)

    P.S. Get that lock!! ;)

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  5. JMarls: a tall caramel frapp, please. AND, I once went to Phoenix's house and spooned her, and totally credited you for the best way to comfort someone ever, and
    Jo: Got the lock, and thank you!

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Play nice.