I am glad you came back from your time in the Nam. However, I do not see what Iraq and your service has to do with what you did and then openly told us about here. Many went to the Nam, not all returned, don't tarnish thier fine memories by trying to use thier sacrifice to cover what you did. Many of us here have served our country and we don't try to use it as a excuse. I for one, as many others here I am sure, tell the cashiers if they undercharge us for something, if I am given to much change I give it back to them. I have even driven back to the store to do so. I love you like a brother but that also means making the hard decisions and letting you know what you did was wrong. I realize people use rationalization to cover and explain their acts and actions, that does not make them right. If you really believed what you did was right you would have asked the store manager to switch parts of the kits instead of doing it secretly when no one else was watching, you even said:
"had to do a switch tho.the black basecoat came with a ivory crackle.so i switched a gold basecoat to get a white topcoat. somebody will be surprised with ther kit.".
Here is a test, do you think the store manager would have switched the colors for you and fouled up the second kit? That may give you an understanding if what you did was right or wrong. We all have to live by the same rules even if we have to buy 2 kits to get the colors we need, it happens. You can make tihis right very easily and be able to look as yourself in the mirror with no shame, go back to the store and buy that kit that you switched colors with. We live our lives differently which is evidenced by your statement:
"i am sure that everyone who has NOT been charged at a store for something goes
back and pays for it.or an item is mismarked everyone tells the checker.give me a break.".
If a store or cashier forgets to charge me for something I tell them, if an item is mismarked I don't try to go off like a "thief in the night" with it, I do bring it to the store managers attention and for the most part they will sell you the item for the advertised or marked price, even though it is wrong, they then thank you for your "honesty" and for bringing it to thier attention. If they ask you to pay the correct price so what, it is the correct price. I for one could not look at myself in the mirror if I got things that way, you said "i did not STEAL anything.". We may have slightly different opinions on that, but only if honesty can be evaluated in degrees, I do not think it can be, either it is honest or it is not. If you cannot at this late time in your life see what wrong with what you did I am sorry for you. The good thing is it is never to late to change.
I could have taken the easy way out and let your actions and your posting about it slide, however that would have been the cowards way out. I do not intend to carry this on as a arguement or to post more about the incident. I have voiced my beliefs and opinions and you have stated what you believe, Obviously we each lead our lives differently. I hope you continue on here as a brother and member and perhaps learn something from these posts, at least give these ideas a chance and think about what has been posted. Best of luck in the future, and in eternity....<><....
P.S. I am proud to be part of this site and it's members where so many have had the courage to reply and to join me in defending whats right and honest, Thanks to you all....<><....
