A long time ago, before I started kindergarten, my mother and I entered a dime store in a small Seattle suburb. As we checked out, we passed those shelves with gum, candy, and sundries where I saw something I just had to have: I picked up a pair of white shoe laces, and told her I really wanted them. She said, "No, put them back."
We left the store, but didn't get halfway down the block before I couldn't stand it any longer, and excitedly pulled the shoe laces out of my pocket. "See, Mom? I got my white shoe laces."
Do you know what the fastest movement in nature is?
A mother's hand reaching for a wayward child.
The instant she recognized the white shoelaces -- SHAZAM! -- my mother grabbed my ear. You can't see it, but I've had 6" of ear lobe surgically removed - and that's both ears because Mom was ambidextrous! She marched me back to the store where I had to profusely apologize to the manager - I couldn't even spell profusely! My wife and I laugh about it now, because she had a similar experience with her mother over a chocolate marshmallow cookie.
But that day I learned a valuable lesson: be honest and don't take things that don't belong to you.
Chuck
