- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,357
That may well be worth a try Anthony. I have a mailing address with a PO box.
Although I can be provoked to anger, I've never abused anyone over a deal involving money.
Once when I was a counselor in a men's dorm at UT I discovered that the fellow next door to me was tapping into my telephone through the wall. I heard the tools and could see him through the hole in the wall fixture. Leaning forward I blew a long stream of cigarette smoke through the fixture and heard a loud, "SHIT!" on the other side. The guy thought he had shorted something out. Then I went next door, walked in and asked him what he was doing with the phone lines. He pleaded poverty and said he was just tapping into my phone line so he could make local calls. After some discussion he asked that I not report the incident. I agreed on the condition that he remove the tap because it was illegal.
My neighbor agreed and I soon forgot about the incident. But I gradually learned more about the guy. He was a gambler who believed he was capable of getting rich quick as a young man because people were so stupid. He thought his victims were so stupid they were funny. Well, I guess he wasn't as smart as he thought, because he soon had debts all over town and had everyone from the University to the Sheriffs office on his back. About the time I heard he was fleeing town to escape his creditors I discovered he had re-tapped my phone and charged about $400 of long distance calls to my account. Now I was a struggling student too, that's why I was a counselor, i.e. I got my room free. It actually took 3 part time jobs to keep me in school. In addition to being a counselor, I also waited tables in a girls dorm and handled the laundry franchise in my own dorm. As I thought about the incident my anger grew. I thought about how much of a fool he must think I am and the anger increased.
Soon I was pounding on his door like Eliot Ness, and when he opened up I demanded $400 on the spot. "I don't have any money left," he told me. I told him I'd heard him bragging all semester long about what fools people were and how easy they were to con. "No way am I letting you leave town without paying for your phone calls or giving me some collateral for your debt."
"I don't have any collateral," he said.
"What about your watch?"
After a pause he stripped off the watch and handed it too me. I left and returned to my room.
At first I was proud of myself. I wasn't going to be one of those fools that my neighbor thought he could take advantage of. But it wasn't long before I began to feel ashamed. The guy next door was practically being ridden out of town on a pole. He had not a single friend, and I had probably been the most aggressive creditor he had ever encountered. In a way, I still felt what I did was right, but ultimately decided it just wasn't worth it.
I went back next door and knocked gently. The guy opened the door and invited me in. I told him that, regardless of the circumstances, I did not feel right about taking his watch and wanted to return it. He said, "What's the matter Bill, are you feeling guilty?" "Yes," I responded, "I guess you've got enough people making trouble for you without me adding to it." He accepted the watch and thanked me for returning it. Next day he was gone, and I kissed off the money wondering how I was going to make it through the semester.
Three or four days later I received a letter from his mother thanking me for being so nice to her son. The letter contained a check for $400.
If we are alert to the possibilities, there are things we can all learn from each other.
Peace bro bruche. In your own time if you see fit. I'm blowing this one off because experience teaches me that's what works best when you consider the things that are most important. I hope your sojourn leaves you feeling refreshed and eager to resume the art and craftsmanship for which you are so widely appreciated.
Bill
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