Humility and My Life as a Criminal

Although there are many happenings that have brought me to the point where I realize humility is a trait that I would like to nurture in myself, one experience in particular must be shared. Not only is it a good lesson in humility (for me), it is damn funny.

Some of you will remember that I posted a mobile picture on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, while on our way to Ohio to visit my family. The picture was of "Mr. Weenie", a mascot for some unfortunately named pseudo-restaurant in the lovely and bustling town of Peru, Indiana. Many of you who are familiar with the conventional route between West Lafayette, Indiana and Akron, Ohio will wonder what we were doing in Peru. Well, because my husband and I are such an adventurous couple, we thought we would take the scenic route. So we did, and we saw Mr. Weenie and he demanded that I post his ridiculous self on Facebook. So I did. Well, here lies the beginning of one of the single most significant communication breakdowns in my marriage. You know, the marriage that I kind of brag about because we communicate so well and are always on the same page. Yeah, right.

Ok, so Jason pulls up to the pump to fill up the mini-van (read "family truckster" ala National Lampoon's Vacation) and I head out to take a picture of the aforementioned giant "weenie" in the sky. I post the pic and head inside to purchase some super sugary, use only in case of emergency travel snacks for the kids, a Diet Coke for myself, and also to use the ATM and the restroom. While at the counter buying these goods, the workers start talking about how a drive-off had just occurred and I am stunned that people would actually do that, especially in a small town. I mean, stealing gas? I head to the ATM and there are several foreign-looking people looking confused in front of it. Therefore, I head to the car and suggest to Jason, who is waiting for me around the side of the building with a full tank of fuel, that we find another ATM because we might just have to wait all night for the current ATM customers to finish their transactions. Jason begins to pull away and sees that the ATM is now free. So I head back in and request some cash from said ATM. Apparently small town ATMs only have a limited amount of funds and I was given what was left. What I was given was not what I had requested, so I told the girl working (this being the same girl who I had discussed the drive off with, five minutes prior) that her ATM had an error and was currently "temporarily out of service." Nonetheless, my receipt from said ATM clearly stated the difference between my request and disbursement and I figured all was well. I bid the workers at the Peru BP farewell, and we were off on a drive that can only be described as "less than ideal."

Hellish as it may be, Jason and I had great conversations on many subjects throughout most of the drive. We talked about family and religion, hopes and dreams. We discussed future plans and probably held hands and felt close and connected. I am always proud and probably a bit boastful about the way Jason and I communicate. I love having the chance to talk to him about intellectually stimulating topics. Never once did we further discuss our trip to the Peru BP, except to giggle sophmorically about Mr. Weenie. After a couple hours of talking, I climbed in back to soothe our crying son and watch a movie with our daughters. Jason listened to an NCAA final of some sort. We had a great trip and made it back safely to Indiana on Sunday.

It was not until Tuesday that I was struck by the fact that perhaps my husband and I do not communicate as well as I would like to think. The caller ID told me that my bank was calling and I quickly answered. The representative from the bank let me know that she had received a call from a merchant who had used my card information to track me down because ACCORDING TO THEIR SURVEILLANCE CAMERA I HAD NOT PAID FOR GAS THAT JASON HAD PUMPED. Folks, let me tell you that I am a perfect candidate for a life of crime. My fingerprints are so faint that they have to be done via laser detection. Traditional methods do not work. I look pretty innocent. People give me the benefit of the doubt. Nonetheless, I WOULD NEVER STEAL GAS. I am a rule follower. Jason had stood outside and pumped $50.00 worth of gas into our van and expected that I would pay for it when I headed inside on that day in Peru. I thought he would use his card and pay at the pump. I sympathized with the clerk about the drive-off and lo and behold- I was the drive off. Apparently, the communication in our marriage is not as brag-worthy as I had thought. Luckily, I was such an obvious customer that day; what with my bright pink jacket, picture taking and repeated trips into the store. So obvious (or obnoxious), that the clerk contacted my bank, giving me the benefit of the doubt. She said that she had never before tried to contact anyone or given them the benefit of the doubt. She said she was sure that there was some kind of misunderstanding. She just didn't think that I "looked the type to steal gas." Yeah, maybe because those who are trying to break laws are a lot less chatty and annoying when they are in your store.

The moral of the story is that I am humbled by the fact that as good as my marriage is, there is still so much work to do. I am humbled by the fact that Andy, the clerk at the Peru BP, took time to offer me another chance because she was sure of a "misunderstanding." I am humbled that as a complete stranger, she was able to recognize my honesty. She could have easily called the police. That would have been much quicker and the much more obvious (or jaded) program to follow. This is only one of the many lessons I am learning in humility these days. If you got to this point in this very long post, I am humbled that you have stayed with me for such a lengthy read.