Turning the Tables

As someone who recently experienced a burglary in my home, I found this story somehow satisfying and amusing all at the same time. This article, Bellevue Burglary Victim Outwits Thieves published on King 5's website, tells the story of a man who 'turned the table' on the burglars who attempted to rob him. (Full text is also below).

As he heard the burglars in his home starting to make off with his possessions, he called 9-1-1 and then went outside, got into the thieves' van and drove it to a friend's house! He stole the burglar's van!! As a result, when they came out and saw that they didn't have a get-a-way car, they abandoned their stolen loot and fled the site on foot. Isn't that great?

What I think is best about this story, is that it illustrates a principle of the universe. What goes around... comes around, is one way to say it. What you sow, so shall you reap, is another. Bottom line, we will generally be treated the way we treat other people. We will always experience the consequences of our actions... some time, some way. There is no escaping this law of the universe.

Now, stealing from others is an extreme behavior. Most of us don't do that! We do, however, sometimes not treat people as we would want to be treated. We might lose our tempers too easily, or not tell the complete truth. We might be a little selfish or self absorbed at times and not pay attention to the needs and feelings of others around us as much as we should. Or, we might simply not be conscious of how what we are doing affects other people.

Life has a way of showing us things about ourselves so that we can learn and grow. We can find these messages all around us. It's up to us to look for them, and make use of them when they appear.

In some cases, like the burglars who got burglarized, it gives us a little satisfaction when people 'get what's coming to them.' The greater lesson, however, is that we can all learn from the feedback we get from life. It's part of the reason (well, I think it's the MAIN reason) we are here!

Bellevue burglary victim outwits thieves
February 14, 2009
By Associated Press

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Patrick Rosario had a clever way of making sure a pair of burglars didn't get away with his three flat-screen TVs: He stole their van.

The 32-year-old, laid-off Washington Mutual manager was in the basement of his Bellevue home Tuesday afternoon when he heard the thieves upstairs. He called 911 as he snuck out of the house and, against the advice of the operator, hopped into the getaway car -- a white Ford van that was running with the keys in the ignition -- and drove to a friend's house.

The burglars took off on foot, leaving a pile of televisions, a laptop and a jewelry box by the door. Rosario told The Seattle Times he only wishes he could have seen the look on their faces when they realized their van was gone.