The temptation to pick what is for another person seem to be an effortless task for some people, but today i witnessed how self-destructive such action can be. On my way home from work, i saw a scene that left me thinking about the importance of handwork and contentment. I feel compelled to share this story with you all. So, sit back, relax and enjoy all that I have packaged for your reading pleasure/enlightenment.
I was walking to the bus stop to get a cab home when i noticed a crowd just ahead of me gathered around something or someone near a busy market exit gate. The outrage of men holding sticks and stones caught my attention and as I gently approached them I saw two young men who had already being stripped naked begging for their life. I approached the crowd and asked someone what was going on - they were trying to steal a car.
Apparently, the mode of operation of these car thieves is that they will pose as the owner of a car and confidently open the car with their master key, start the car and drive off. But they were unlucky today as the owner of the car, a Toyota Corolla 06 was not too far away from his car - he was buying some items just some meters away from where he parked. He spotted the strange movement around his car and alerted the owner of the shop where he was buying something. But they decided to watch out and see what was going to happen so as not to accuse people falsely.
Lo and behold, these boys used their master key to gain access to the car, so before they could start the car and drive off they alerted everyone and blocked them. In short, they caught them and they begin to beat them without mercy. They were beaten to a pulp before the intervention of the market security who managed to rescue the situation which could have become a deadly one.
Even though the mob were justified to be mad and angry over the attempted theft, they got it all wrong in taking justice into their hands. They could have ended the lifes of the two culprits who obviously put themselves at risk because of someone else's property. This incident made me reflect on how stealing whether big or small can be destructive for the perpetrators. They might feel like they have gained something that they will exchange for money but the consequences can be as severe as getting badly injured or losing their lives. For these two young men, a mission that was supposed to be quick and swift ended in apprehension, humiliation, pain and agony. Not only that, they will surely be dealt with in accordance to the law.
Lack of contentment and not wanting to do a legal job to earn money is the reason so many people engage in theft, kidnapping and so on. Stealing is a crime that definitely comes with serious consequences once they get caught. It is never worth the risk to engage in theft, be it the small or big one. It is better to engage in a job that is dignifying and live within one's means. The truth is that contentment is the key to living a fulfilling life.
This is a wake up call for all of us to never resort to illegal means of acquiring what we want, instead we should work legitimately in our various places of work. There is no amount of wealth acquired through a dishonest means that will make you happy because you'd always be on the lookout to avoid being caught.