
A quiet, reflective start to the day.
Several years ago my office building was burglarized. Two young men used a tire iron to break a window and enter the building. Tax offices do not have a lot of stuff worth stealing so they settled on two monitors and an old safe with an empty coffee can in it. People pay their bill by credit card or ACH in the majority of cases; a few still pay by check and cash comes in during tax season and is removed each day.
The young men caused thousands of dollars in damage for the massive haul of two monitors worth maybe $20 each. (New monitors are under $100.) So what were they geniuses looking for? Well, it seems they remembered I had a soda machine outside my building a decade ago and they assumed I moved the machine inside the building. Yes, they burglarized my building for some of that lucrative soda machine money.
They did not find the soda machine. I retired the machine years ago. The police were so excited to gather evidence. A few days later the young men were in custody. The police and district attorney informed me I was a victim. I replied ‘I am not the victim. My building is the victim; they kicked the shit out of it.’ For some reason I did not feel violated; I can’t speak for my building since I was not the one sodomized.
The damage was repaired the same day and life went on as normal with one exception: the district attorney’s office keeps sending me ‘victim’ mail. Anytime a court date approached I was invited to ‘get involved’. I never went. The two men were convicted and sentenced to a combines 10 years in prison. Now I felt like a victim! It costs $40,000 a year to house a prisoner. The government in their infinite wisdom squandered nearly a half million dollars protecting my three thousand bucks of building damage. Really?
Before sentencing I was asked what I thought would be a fair sentence. I responded. These two young men needed money to fund a drug habit. I gathered that when they said they were looking for a haul from an imaginary soda machine. Prison would not solve the problem. They needed drug treatment and a new set of skills. I informed the court I thought requiring successful drug rehabilitation treatment and a thousand hours of community service would go a lot further than taxing me more to fill the prison a little bit more. I recommended the community service be served working with Habitat for Humanity. My thought was, clean these guys up and teach them a trade.
The court disagreed. The judge and prosecutor felt a deep desire to protect the community. The truth is soda machines everywhere rose up and demanded justice. They never seriously considered my recommendation and $400,000 of hard-earned taxpayer money was pissed down the drain. Most people say ‘put them in prison’. I prefer a more logical approach that does not include wasting money. You know what we think about wasting money around here.
Enter the Stoic
Why do I tell this story? I think about it a lot. I wonder about the two men raped by the system. They did some really stupid stuff. Who hasn’t? I wonder if they have made changes in their lives for the better. Will society be safer when they get out? I doubt it.
Most of all I wonder why I did not feel violated. The police wanted me to know they will keep an eye on the place and protect me. I shrugged my shoulders. The DA’s office sent me huge packets in the mail informing me of my rights as a victim. I was not the victim, the building was. Nobody would listen so I stopped explaining myself.
My emotions over the break-in are puzzling to many people. I examined my thoughts to figure out why I felt the way I did. After a short time of reflection I came to the conclusion my stoic nature was to blame for my settled mind. From a young age I had stoic tendencies before I knew what a stoic was. Later in life I discovered Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. One of my favorite books is A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.
For the first time I realized I had internalized the truth about stoicism. Little things did not bother me. Beating the shit out of my ‘stuff’ was not a concern; I should downsize anyway. Of course, I still have feelings and emotions; a stoic is not dead inside. Events that cause most people to worry were water off a duck’s back for me.
A practicing stoic knows he is never perfect. “Stuff’ does not bother me; serving my clients does. I take serving my clients very seriously. I am bothered if I am unable to help all the people I promised to help.
It all comes down to focus. I live at a time in history where people have it really good in Western countries. I can walk/bike/drive millions of miles of roads for free. Do you know how many books I can borrow, movies, music CDs, and internet I can play with all for free at my local library? It is humbling to know I have millions of dollars of knowledge and entertainment all available for free at the library. How awesome is that?
Enter the Zen Master
I read a small number of blogs on a regular basis. Mr. Money Mustache and Zen Habits are my two favorites. Both blogs teach about living life right. I have talked about Pete over at Money Mustache already. Today I want to introduce you to Leo Babauta. Unlike Pete, I have never personally met Leo. Just like Pete, Leo seems like a hell of a nice guy.
Leo talks less about money than Pete does. Leo has taught me to relax, instead. For an excitable wealthy accountant with OCD that is saying a lot. Learning to breathe is a lesson more people need to learn, especially me. To the best of my ability I take one piece of Leo’s advice: upon waking in the morning I drink a full glass of water and then sit and meditate for 5 minutes, eyes closed. Only then can I enjoy a cup of tea.
Water cleanses the body; meditation cleanses the mind. I tell people I am retired in a convoluted sort of way. Outside tax season I have a lot of free time. I take on projects that appeal to me. I keep busy in my retirement. My desire for knowledge and experience is vast. Everything interests me. However, no one can have every experience or learn everything there is to know. I have to pick and choose.
In a world of never-ending distractions, focus is a commodity. Zen meditation, as taught by Leo, has helped me focus. The added focus has allowed me to experience more, learn more, enjoy more. The world of distractions will not end. The phone will ring, friends will visit, email will call and text messages will interfere. By practicing your stoic skills and Zen meditation you can find meaning in the life you live, as I have. When you focus you see, sometimes for the first time, the beauty all around you. Enjoy the simple pleasures: the smell of fresh mown grass, the singing of birds and the color of the sky. Take a moment every day to relax for at least five minutes. Don’t let the small stuff worry you. Focus on the important and enjoy the wonderful life granted you.
Zed
Wednesday 2nd of March 2016
Keith your anecdote on the two burglars is inspiring. It seems like your personal foundation is grounded in compassion which is something I always strive for. It seems to pair wisely with what I think is an inherent logic that comes with a stoic mindset.
This post in general aligns with one of the foundations for creating my site. This is beautifully written and captures your character quite well, so thank you for sharing. Awareness in life leads to awareness in one's finances.
On a side note, our morning routines are quite similar and I am not sure if this is a standard zen practice. Is this something you learned from following Leo?
Sandy
Tuesday 1st of March 2016
Hi, I enjoyed this post. I wonder what you think would be suitable punishment in a case I'm involved with right now. My 18-year-old daughter was robbed at gunpoint by a friend and two of his friends. A drug buy was involved, they were the dealers. They put the gun right on her head. We got the police involved and they were quickly caught because she knew them. This is not their first robbery. They have robbed one of their sisters' boyfriends. They are looking at at least six years in prison which will just make them better criminals. What would you recommend? I am afraid they're going to kill somebody either purposely or accidentally if they don't go to prison. I'm sure they would all benefit from drug treatment, learning a trade, and better life skills. The gunman is a high school dropout, his dad is in prison, mom is a junkie. Ugh
Keith Schroeder
Tuesday 1st of March 2016
Sandy, when violence is used or threatened against another human being or animals it is imperative to include prison as part of the sentence. There is a difference between a couple of young guys beating up soda machines around town and putting a gun to someone's head. Treatment must be part of the incarceration process before release in such cases. I am open minded about reducing the prison population; I am not a fool either. Mere possession of drugs probably requires treatment as part of the process and outside of jail (maybe a halfway house).
I pray your daughter is okay after the ordeal. As a victim of a violent crime she may also need treatment and resources should be expended to help your daughter (all victims). I wish prison could be replaced with real education. All my best to you, Sandy. Thank you for your comment; it really helps readers understand in a better way than I can explain.
Lucas
Monday 29th of February 2016
On a total random note, I am going to be in Appleton this coming weekend (Friday - Monday probably). I am always up for meeting new people, having a good discussion, learning new things, and/or playing a good game (all or in any combination). so figured i would check if you want to meet up? Let me know if you are interested and we can hash out a plan. Thanks.
Lucas
Monday 29th of February 2016
Great perspective on the two guys who broke into your building.
I haven't been alive (and reasoning) long enough to know in my gut whether this is a trend or not, but it appears that society is treating people as less and less changeable (ie if you make a mistake you are forever that mistake rather than the improved person who can learn from those issues). I was disturbed by what i saw when i worked with the military in this very area. Most of the enlisted guys were young guys who dropped out of college because they liked to party too much, or didn't want to work hard enough for school. But then when they made a "inevitable" mistake of some sort (speeding ticket, drank too much, got in a fight, or heaven forbid applied for three shore roles in a row instead of deploying because that wasn't in the "best interest of the Navy") it would haunt their career forever. This was odd considering many of the senior leaders had tons of stories about all the things they messed up in their day and what they learned from it.
I have certainly learned the most though my mistakes vs any of my successes.
Dave
Monday 29th of February 2016
I think we are getting more media attention, but we have come a long way from cutting off hands. For these guys to get 10 years over $3K though it had to be at least the third time. We have a separate problem with repeat offenders, How do you handle someoen the 3rd, 4th, 5th or 30th time they get arrested for the same petty drugs or burglary offenses?