Confession: Yesterday I walked out of a restaurant without paying.
This is not a joke. And nobody else paid either.
I just forgot.
It was a little coffee shop where I went to get a drink with my mom and my daughter. Because our drinks weren’t all ready at the same time and because they were busy, they said “Oh, just sit down. We’ll bring your drink out and you can settle up when you’re finished.”
We nibbled biscotti and sipped a bit.
And I walked out.
At 2:30 that afternoon I woke up from a nap, la-de-da, la-de-da—oh my word, what have I done? I just knew. Suddenly knew. I’d become a shoplifter. Horrified, I called the coffee shop. Um. I walked out this morning without paying. Can I come in and settle up?
Sure, okay; thanks for calling.
Wow.
It was only last summer that I got stopped for speeding for the first time ever, so as you can see my career as a lawbreaker is really ramping up. What should I take up next, do you think? Forging checks? Jaywalking? Rumshpringa?
I don’t know what kind of a title you’d give to this: I got a check written to Renee Petersheim (who IS that anyway?), and I carefully wrote a “ita” where those ee’s were. The bank gave me the money, and didn’t ask a single question. Whew! That was easy. 🙂
Isn’t it amazing how your subconscious keeps track of things like that?
this comment was the one I needed to hear. 🙂 what if my subconscious kept as good of track of the things I have done well! What if my mistakes (made right) fell right off my memory, never to be thought of again. Thanks for jolting me to this needed reality in my life. 🙂
Well now, I don’t know… Seems like forgetting all our mistakes would pretty much axe our ability to learn new skills and tell great stories, don’t you think?
Maybe He lets us remember as part of redemption.
well, maybe I didn’t say well what I meant to say. You know some days my subconscious keeps better track of what I haven’t done well , than what I have. It hasn’t been redeeming in my life. what if i chose to not chalk up my mistakes or brain fogs and record them for future use against myself.
Shari i am not speaking for you. just how this comment affected me,made me stop and reevaluate.
Ah. A conscious choice to use or not to use as ammo… This makes lots of sense! Thanks Donna.
I did the same thing (kinda) as you. I went to the library and printed of a bunch of copies. Then I used a computer to do something and went to search for books. I checked out my books and, big as you please, walked out withOUT paying for the copies. Later I was doing things with the papers and it dawned on my brain I hadn’t paid. So next time I was in town I slunk into the library and paid for the copies.
I, too, forgot to pay for a meal. Several years ago, I ate at a local restaurant for the first time. It was a deli-style café. I placed my order at the deli counter, then they brought my food to the table. After I was finished with my meal, I left and ran my other errands. On my way home, I passed the restaurant and thought about how good the sandwich was. I tried to recall the price, and suddenly realized I had not paid for it. I quickly turned around and went back to the restaurant. It was after 2:30, so the door was locked. But the workers were in the kitchen cleaning up. I knocked on the screen door to the kitchen. They called out that they were closed. I said I knew that, but I ate lunch there that day but had forgotten to pay for it. They immediately unlocked the front door and we settled that problem.
This is fun. 🙂 My husband and I were on an anniversary trip and accidentally brought home a fork from our rental cabin. It bothered me, and lay quietly in the drawer for 2 years ( I know, that’s awful!!) but I never mailed it back. I guess our reasoning was that the postage would have cost more than the fork did. Finally, when we were in the area again, we drove up to the cabin in broad daylight and laid the offensive thing at the door and drove away laughing. Probably not the best way to handle it, but I am so glad it’s out of my drawer finally!
I did this!
Back in the day of Artist Cup… I went waltzing out of the coffee shop when my husband picked me up from my date with the sister-in-laws and merrily on my way. A couple minutes later my sister-in-law called me, “Um, did you forget something?” I promptly looked for my purse and when I saw it sitting at my feet in the car, I said, “No. I don’t think so.” There was silence, followed by laughter, then: “Didn’t you forget to pay?” My dear sister-in-law paid my bill and all was well, but maaan…I could hardly believe it!
Glad to know I’m not the only one…