My mom often tells this story from our childhood:
She was at the register paying for the items in her cart. She watched as the cashier unknowingly swept several toys over the scanner without making contact. There was no telltale ‘beep’. My mom stood silently as the cashier bagged the toys. My mom knew she hadn’t paid for those toys, but she didn’t say a word. Times were tight, I suppose. It was the cashier’s mistake, after all. My mom grabbed her bags, told the cashier to have a nice day, and brought the toys home.
When the phone rang later that evening, my mom shouldn’t have been surprised. It was karma calling. Well, it was actually my father calling from jail but it was karma all the same. I can’t recall what he was in trouble for – a bar fight, maybe, or drinking and driving – but whenever my mom tells this story it always begins with her watching the cashier sweep those toys past the scanner. According to my mom, the moral of the story is clear: be honest, always. The universe has a way of giving you your comeuppance.
I have heard this story many times. I have repeated it to my husband. I will tell it to my own children when they are older. This story is the reason I always remind the cashier at the grocery store to scan the pop on the bottom of my cart if she forgets to look. It is the reason I corrected the cashier at the home improvement store when she thought we only had two pieces of Plexiglas since I knew we had four. This story is part of who I am.
Late Friday afternoon I was in the parking lot loading my bags into the back of my car when I saw the can of Pledge in the cart. The can of Pledge wasn’t bagged. It was standing upright in the corner of the cart, tucked in behind the child seat. I must have missed it when I was unloading my items in the checkout line. I glanced at my receipt. Shoot, I didn’t pay for the Pledge. I thought briefly of my mom’s story. I swear I did. But I also thought it was late and I was hungry and my girls had already been at daycare longer than I wanted. I did not want to walk back into the store and wait in line again. I hesitated for a moment and then quickly threw the Pledge in one of my bags and drove out of the parking lot. Surely, one little can of Pledge wasn’t going to matter.
I had forgotten all about the can of Pledge as I drifted off to sleep later that evening. But when my husband shook me awake during the middle of the night to give me some very bad news, I quickly remembered.
The universe has a way of giving you your comeuppance.
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Oh no! What was it? The bad news? I hope it’s nothing too serious
I hope everything is ok! So crafty how you connected your memory of what your mother always told you to what happened in the present day.
I is so easy to say, “It was the cashier’s mistake.” I know. I have done this myself. And yes, something always seems to happen to balance the universe.
Why do we notice karma only when it is bad and not most of the time when I am sure you are an honest kind and generous person.
Isn’t it amazing how stories like this have a way of framing and shaping our lives.
You can always go back to the store and pay for the Pledge. Perhaps that will “right” everything again.
I’ve gone back.
Comeuppance, now that’s a great word. Not one I want applied to me, however. It is interesting that this situation somewhat matched your mother’s story. I hope everything is okay, now.
Hoping you & family are okay, Dana, but I have a story too that I won’t soon forget. It didn’t result in comeuppance (I too, love the word), but I remember. It is easy to let that no-beep go unnoticed, but I can’t for my sake or for the store’s. I think we pay in the long run anyway because of inventory missing just increases the prices everywhere. I admire your honesty in telling your story, bet we all have one!
Very powerful story. Now I’m worried for you about the bad news. You only deserve good things, Pledge or no Pledge.
I hope the bad news isn;t too bad….it was only a can of Pledge after all.
Comeuppance is such a great word. I love that Kate DiCamillo used it, along with divine, “divine comeuppance” in The Tale of Despereaux. I always think of the book when I hear the word.
I’m so sorry about your bad news, your comeuppance. I think Stacey is right– go back to the store to pay for the Pledge. Everything happens for a reason.
It works both ways, though! I had the opposite-ish thing happen this weekend. When we were paying for our kids season’s passes to our local ski area, the ticket lady asked us for Lily’s age. I knew that it was free for five and under, and Lily just turned six a few days ago. It’s hundreds of dollars for a regular ski pass, but I told the truth about my daughter’s birthday anyhow — and you know what? The ticket lady gave us the free pass anyway!
Wow! Really love this!!!! This is such an amazing and true story!!!😋😁
I’m hoping all is well – and that the bad news has sorted itself out.
Love the word comeuppance — it just sounds like it should sound! Isn’t it crazy we still hear our parents’ voices in our minds? Important for me to remember now that I am that voice for my children. Hope things are ok… you certainly set up a cliffhanger in this post…
Our thoughts are will you!
Hoping you guys are okay!
Love that it was “Pledge” and you wrestled with your promise to yourself.
Fiction or Non, you’ve made me curious.
Hope you’re ok.
Hmmm. Real important stuff on values. Thanks for sharing.