Honesty

I'm listening to Alexander McCall Smith's The Right Attitude for Rain as I drive around. This is the third book in the Sunday Philosophy Club series with Isobel Delahousy.

Isobel is discussing theft with her niece Kat's deli employee. Coffee bags have gone missing from the deli again. Isobel muses on the subject, with careful deliberation, as she does on every subject.

I began to consider honesty, too. We aren't to take what isn't ours. There is no excuse for stealing. Stealing is violent; stealing is disrespectful; stealing takes a bit our our souls away when we take something that doesn't belong to us, etc.

After a few minutes of reflection, I reached into my purse to get a lipstick. As my hand moved around in my purse, I pulled out a ballpoint pen. Not recognizing the feel of the pen, I looked at the pen. Taped carefully to the side of the turquoise plastic pen was a neatly written note, "Do Not Remove".

I don't know whose pen it is. Where did I pick up this pen? Bank? Water Department? Office?
Can't return it. Don't know where the pen belongs.

Over the years, I've noted the synchronicity of my ranking/blasting/pontificating against something only to find myself guilty of the offense, too.

Human here,

St. Casserole