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While at a meeting last night, I put my keys, phone and cup of coffee under the seat I was sitting in. A woman sitting behind me, quietly took my keys and left the meeting. No one in the meeting thought anything of it. I went outside about half way through it, not knowing my keys had been taken... walked into the parking lot to find my car had been stolen! I called the police, I got my car back and she is now in jail. Seems this person might have tried to fight with police or an inmate once in jail, because she is also charged with a simple assault on top of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Watch what you put under your seat in a meeting... it might end up gone before the meeting is over.
I was very pissed about it for about an hour or so. Just upset that someone in AA would do such a thing. I posted something similar as above on my facebook with her sheriff dept. mugshot, which shows full name, date of birth, charges, etc. Then "suddenly the thought crossed my mind".... Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions,ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
This woman is obviously still in the grip of the disease. I am sure she didn't end up in a AA meeting by mistake. It saddens me more that someone caught in the grip of this hideous disease can't get a break or "reprieve" for just showing up in the rooms, than the fact my car was taken. When it has someone wrapped that tight, it is the essence of true powerlessness.
This morning, my sponsor who saw my post about Valentines day, and being a cupid asked..."did you shoot her with a dose of Love?"
My response was, "yes, I didn't interfere with allowing her to hit the bottom she needs to find. I allowed her to suffer the consequences of her behavior, which I believe is a by-product of this disease. I loved her enough to send her to jail, and remove her personal information from my Facebook timeline". Then he asked.. "If you see her re-enter the rooms, what would you say to her?" My reply..."Welcome Home".
Then I'd make sure my keys, were in my damn pocket!
John
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" And what did we gain? A new life, with purpose, meaning and constant progress, and all the contentment and fulfillment that comes from such growth."
Geez, John. Certainly not the kind of VD's gift we'd expect. Glad they caught her, returned your car, and you removed the information about her from your fb page. I'm also glad for the heads up. I tend to put my keys under my chair, too, and leave my purse in the car. Not the smartest move I can see from reading your post. Who knows how many of us will be spared this experience thanks to your post here?
LMAO .. I'm sorry .. John this is my warped sense of humor and OMGOSH .. there is Grateful with the whole VD abbreviation .. LOL .. Ohhh .. I needed a good laugh. I'm soooo glad they got your car back and just think of the ESH you can share if you share your story about it takes what it takes to get to the rooms of AA .. now you can add .. and it's definitely NOT my car! I have always wondered in the back of my mind regarding where to put my keys, phone and wallet .. I usually just place them ON the table OR in my jacket pockets .. they will not be going under my chair. I hope that VD doesn't come in the form of cars being stolen :) Ohhh .. I'm still having a laugh over that one :)
Hugs S:)
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Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do "faith". - Brene Brown
"Whatever truth you own doesn't own you" - Gary John Bishop
Oh geez, I read Grateful's response and immediately my mind went to VD instead of Valentine's Day.
John, I'm glad it all worked out for you and that you are handling it so well, too! This kind of thing could have happened anywhere but I know it stinks that it happened at a meeting. Hugs!
Reminds me of a speaker I heard recently who went at her first meeting was sitting next to a gentleman. She looked over and the "coffee lady" was motioning her over. When she got there she told her to "Mind her purse, the fellow sitting next to her was a pickpocket!"
We are definitely people who would not normally mix....and so much the better for it.
Glad you took her personal information down and that you have compassion for a fellow sufferer. And for reminding us that we can love someone but still have to protect ourselves.
Wow. Someday you will be able to laugh at that! A good reminder. It really could happen anywhere, our meetings rooms are safe places so people can take advantage of that.
Glad you were able to returning to grace. I probably would have called her an exemption to the rule an left her personal stuff up, thanks for the share, it helps me keep my head on straight.
a girl stole my wallet here in the neighborhood AFTER she reached out to me for help and then thanked me by stealing my wallet, running my Ccards b4 I could get them shut down
I had her pic w/the puppy I helped her with and I went viral with that pic all over the neighborhood....I did it to warn others b/c she would approach other people, needing "help" and I did not want another "me" to happen....I zroxed her pic about 300 x and showed it to all the houses in my neighborhood...
she was chased away from yards and driveways when she came slithering around...a thief needs to be exposed...not out of vengeance, but to warn the other innocents....to me she was a predator....she would "case" houses for her robbing boyfriends who would later break into that house and on her describing the owners possessions and where they were, they would "hit" and leave....thank God I am armed and have pitbulls otherwise, she might have "sicked" her thieving friends on MY house, but those of us who are armed, the thieves know and they avoid.....
we got her and her thieving boyfriends run out of the neighborhood....the cops went to their landlords and said "evict or we are going to site you for numerous code violations and knowingly housing known thieves you can be liable" evictions went out immediately......as co-captain of our neighborhood watch, i will do it again to a thief whom the police could not prosecute b/c of no good surveilance cameras at the gas stations where she used my cards.....
I was not about to let my neighbors get robbed like I was.....AND facing the karma MIGHT teach some of them....some won't learn and they will someday enter the wrong house and be shot...Here in TX we can shoot and kill anyone invading our homes, uninvited...
as to your situation, I think it would have been fair to warn the others....addicts will steal and steal till they crash bottom or end up in jail and forced to straighten up......as to going viral on facebook?? if other meet folks are friends, yea, I can see the justification, but to do it just to "smack her" then yea, I would have removed after my anger subsided.....
i don't apologize for going viral on this girl....then she has the nerve to complain that I ruined her reputation and turned the neighborhood against her and "i can't go anywhere b/c of that lady and people hate me and chase me away" well, thief if you don't want to be hated and chased away, DONT STEAL......
had that been my meet and my robbery, I would have alerted the others, to watch their stuff IF she comes to a meet....Hide your keys, wallets, valuables when she comes around......b/c trust me...if she does it once and is not actively in recovery and sober and working her program, she will steal again......
again, its not vengeance it is taking care of me and my friends who are vulnerable to attack......I do admit...I hate thieves, but I will live and let live as long as they stay the hell away from me....all is good if they leave me and my valuables alone...
SO GLAD you got your car back......what an awful experience.....my truck is old..only has liabililty....a loss like that could really ruin someone financially if she had wrecked it and the owner only had liability...they would be replacing their vehicle b/c of this thief.....sorry, I just don't have any mercy on predators......now if i ever find an acoa meet, i will be thinking about my truck keys and other valuables........
I think you handled this a LOT more compassionate then I would have.......having a thief at a meet, having to guard my stuff would not make for a relaxed meeting evening......I hope jail time is a wake up call for this woman....yes, she is in disease, but ya know??? recovery and sobriety and NOT stealing is something we all can choose to pursue if we really want help.....
OK...off to the club...weather going to be in high 60's to low 70's all week....gonna go for a swim.....you are a good man, John....the world needs a whole lot more like you
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Live and let live and do it with peace and goodwill to all!!!!
