Thievery

There are times when I think about the Ten Commandants. Thou shalt not to do this and do that. All of them are very serious in nature. They're called God's Laws. But, even if they hadn't been handed to Moses by Him they'd still be a crime against society. I hate thievery. There are levels of thievery and they're all bad. Wall Street guys steal and never look back. Kids go into stores and take whatever they want at the time without compunction. Old people steal. Uncle Leo from the Seinfeld Show went into a bookstore and copped a book and his excuse: "I'm an old man".
In a past blog, maybe three years ago, I wrote about how, at the age of five, I stole a nickel out of my mom's change box. I needed some baseball cards at a penny apiece and had to have them that day. I don't recall if I fessed up or mom saw the nickel gone but I was found out. Well, you might say, "It was only a nickel". I might say, "If it wasn't that big of a deal how is it I still remember it after sixty-three years like it was yesterday"?
People still without compunction when they've been drinking. A person's conscience flies out the window when alcohol hits the body. In 1977 I was living with a high school athletic director. He was a widower and I commuted from Iowa to Wisconsin weekly. This guys was a good guy, a little crusty and rough around the edges but he had a good heart. He also loved his martinis and he sucked 'em down on an almost daily basis. When he didn't have his nose in a martini glass he got what he called 'beer fever'. He like his beer and it had to have it at temperature of an Arctic iceberg.
One morning, a Friday, I went to the kitchen and saw a large picture of an Indian on a horse sitting on the breakfast table. Then the old timer came down from upstairs and sauntered into the kitchen. I said, "Where'd you get the picture"? He didn't know. He figured he'd seen it at a bar and liked it and took it. But---he didn't remember doing so and he felt great remorse.
I flew down to Ft. Myers, Florida on Tuesday with two bags. One of them was my golf bag. I'm always leery of taking my clubs anywhere when they're out of my sight. Next to my family and friends my golf clubs are my most important item. If I went to the moon I'd put them in Ft. Knox.
Before I left I put a dozen new Bridgestone #6's in my bag. They're my favorite and I shelled out $40 for them. I played golf on Wednesday but when I opened by golf bag to pick out a couple of my favorites there were two in the bag. It bothers me to blame Southwest Air for employee thievery? I keep looking for excuses to cover this person but I can't. Someone decided they needed ten new golf balls. This is what frustrates me. If I had a sandwich or a can of cashews in it I wouldn't have been so upset. I would have thought, "Maybe the guy was hungry or had a family to feed". But golf balls?
You see, there is no reason for stealing. It's not right and it's a crime against your fellow man. I'll get over this situation someday but every time I think Southwest Air I'll think about a real loser. And those thoughts aren't good.