Have you ever broken the law? □ Yes □ No

The first-ever time I took other's money when I was 6. We were visiting my mom's friend, so we were guests. There were a few coins on the shelf in the hallway, just to buy one ice cream and gum. I looked around - no one was looking at me, so I put them in my pocket.

Yeah, of course my parents repeatedly said that I shouldn't take someone else's property because it's bad. But what was wrong with it - I really didn't understand.

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.” ― Sophocles, Antigone

Small crime always leads to a big crime.

A couple of years ago I realized where to that path was leading. Committing a small crime, even "harmless" (for example - to threw a candy wrapper near the urn, or just do not trying to threw it into) - you get this breaking-the-law-taste. Then after a while you'll commi more serious crime.

So more and more moften, I started to catch the thoughts about the next bad thing. And at one moment, I found myself stealing the soup bags in the supermarket, and thus I got used to look into shop windows in search of the next object of theft. 

“Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive. Simple as that.” ― V.E. Schwab, A Darker Shade of Magic

Certainly it wasn't a matter of survival, it was just that nerves-and-ego-game. And also, the indulgence of animal instincts - to take what "was putted wrong" in my opinion.

Repetition builds character.

You get the taste of committing small violations, and thus appears the need to commit a greater crime.

Nowadays, I always guided by a traffic light when I'm crossing the road. Even when there's no one there. I understand that if I violate the rule, I'll start to plan more criminal actions in the future.

“To have once been a criminal is no disgrace. To remain a criminal is the disgrace” ― Malcolm X

I finally stopped to steal 6 years ago when I met my future husband, and I was ashamed. I didn't want his girlfriend had such blemish. He deserves the best.

With love,
NatiChi.

["Angel" painting © Natalia Chishchina (NatiChi) | 2016 | for this Steemit post] 

Other Yes-or-No posts:

• Do you know what you want? □ Yes □ No
• Are you ready to remove the mask? □ Yes □ No
• Do I have to? □ Yes □ No
• Do you consider yourself beautiful? □ Yes □ No

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