Crime Doesn't Pay

Nice guys always get caught. We were having this discussion the other day... some guys previously in his job royally screwed up, but just never reported mistakes or problems. So, they are view as wonderboys. On the other hand, being the honest guy that he is, he reports problems and oversights, etc. So, what does he get for working hard and being honest? Trouble. That's right. No pats on the back for noting the problems and working on them. He'd have been 'better off' just letting things slide, doing his one year here and heading on out. hail the conquering hero. Anyway, let me get to my point. ... There are some major thieves out there who live the high life. While, I , on the other hand, can't even get away with taking a paperclip from work (so to speak, but not really). On Saturday, I went to the DMZ. Uneasy fun was had by all, ending up at the tiniest souvenir shop ever. In the hubbub of 100 people trying to cram into this shop and get things purchased in "15 minutes everyone!!", I left my camera. I'm getting ahead of myself. In the store, they were selling coins. Not your ordinary coin, think more like a Chuckee Cheese token. These Air Force guys collect coins, though. It's a mystery to me. They have them from every deployment, division, etc. that they've ever been on. They like to display them... after four years in, he already has a few dozen! Anyway, so I thought I'd be nice and buy him a couple. So, I turn to the lady and hold up two fingers and say "coin." (That's how I talk to the Koreans who don't understand English..gestures and one or two word phrases. It seems to work.) Anyway, not until I was happily back on the bus did I realize she had given me THREE. Two of them were stuck together. The bus was leaving in a minute and I debated over whether to go back or just go with it. The guy next to me on the bus said "Guess you were the hundredth customer. Think of it as a prize." And, it's true, I paid $5 per coin that probably cost 50 cents to make. Long story short: I "STOLE" that coin. Yep. If I'd only rushed back in, elbowed through all the people and tried to explain to her what had happened (what's the hand signal for 'you gave me too many'?), maybe I'd realized that I'd left my camera in there! Thanks God, appreciate the lesson. But, why does Joe Drug Dealer get all the Benjamins and I get thumped for a five dollar trinket? Oh, the humanity.