Yesterday I said they said I'm a thief but I was never what they said. Today my apparently third wife spotted me doing a ramraid of a high street store twenty years ago and stood outside shouting to folks till I legged it. Where's the honour in that dear? Kind of a sham if you ask me. Though you know my pals used to call me babysham and babyshambles sang a song called beg steal or borrow
Anyway I didn't lie when I said I never. As if you let me finish the sentence you would hear I never did the dishonourable things they accused me of. Which was stealing their money under their noses and lying to their faces about it. Or burgling their houses while they slept. I never betrayed any of my friends like that. So I felt confused and nervous as to why they would think it. And depressed I had no way to prove my innocence to them. So the suspicion lingered and I felt guilty in their eyes even though I never was. I always conducted myself with honour
Some of my mates loved thievery. I never did but went along with it a couple times. Mostly just because I was there at the wrong time and got roped in. Plus we was all misguided young men and had no role models to tell us otherwise. We thought it was cool. I really didn't wanna do it but went along with it once or twice out of peer pressure. It was a kind of rite of passage. I did it to get respect from my friends. I never intended to victimise anyone or make myself rich by making money off their stuff. That's what a true thief is and I was never that
My friends scoped out a nickable car and motorbike and kept on at me to go along with them on different nights. I was just there with them when they were planning it a couple times so went along. But didn't wanna. I didn't plan it and it wasn't my idea. I was swept along with it by my peers and didn't enjoy it
My mates only spoke about the bike and car like objects. Like drugs. So I didn't give a thought for the owners. I didn't think I was stealing from anyone. It was just there in the dark and we didn't see anyone. I was young and naïve and didn't comprehend how it would affect the owners. So I didn't victimise them intentionally and anyway they were probably insured. So it was basically an honourable thing to do because I was being loyal to my friends and not intending to cause anyone trouble
Then there was the ram raid. What was that all about? Basically drunken boredom. It was more an act of mindless vandalism than thievery. It was late. No clubs or shops open. No parties going. My mate started it and me and my other mate joined in. It was a victimless crime from a rich high street store. The prices they charge are basically criminal anyway. Still two wrongs don't make a right. All kinds of theft are wrong even if it's victimless
So if I finished that sentence last night I'd say I never did the dishonourable things they said. And that statement would be true. Yet if you was pedantic and just looked at the dictonary definition of theft then you could say my statement was false. But that is not how I meant it. I meant it as a matter of honour
Only two people I stole from personally is my mate Dan. But it was a drunken joke and we gave the money back next day when we sobered up. We pretended to mug him randomly when we saw him in the street late at night. It was just a hullabaloo but he got scared and ran off so we was left with his phone and some cash. Basically an accidental mugging. Like walking out a shop without paying. We gave his stuff back red-faced next day
Other person is my mum. I drew £50 out of her bank without asking. It was because someone had loaned me drugs and told me to sell it on by a certain date. But I got drunk and me and my mates smoked it all. It was my first batch for sale. I was worried the guy was gonna rob my house if I didn't pay. I was too ashamed to tell my mum I was selling drugs. But knew she would want to help me anyway. So I just saved her the worry and took the cash without asking. Really just borrowed the cash. Once I'd sold the next batch the following month I paid her back and told her the reason I borrowed it without asking was just I had owed someone cash. So again completely honourable
This was way back before I had religion. Now I have religion I don't steal no more. Not even for honour. So hopefully you can see I have always conducted myself with honour. And that is what I meant last night when I said I never. Never did dishonourable stuff to my mates. Or knowingly to anyone. Now I see there's more honour to be found in walking the way of virtue so hope all my old mates walk it with me
"A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it fully." (John 10:10)
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