Penniless Pretzel Pilfering: The Art of Snagging a Snack
Picture this: It's a sunny September school day in a quaint little town where everyone knows your family inside and out, including your family's bustling business. It's snack Tuesday, and like clockwork, the solemn nuns take the scheduled 10-minute snack break where the opportunity to purchase a penny candy or a single-stick salted pretzel on the honor system, has just begun. The line was about to be open for their hungry guests.
The 6-year-olds knew the drill. The items were pulled from their dark hiding place and placed on the front schoolroom desks. The long-awaited permission to come forward resulted in the jarring sound of chairs scraping on the floor, and the rushing to get ahead of one another as if there were only a handful of goodies for buying. We were sternly ushered into a single file line, the feeling of warm pennies in their hands as they were counted and re-counted as we wobbled to the front of the line. Imagine you're a young bundle of sunshine, standing in that line with a growling tummy and not even a penny in her pocket.
This was the first of many life conflicts that this young 6-year-old had to face.
Yes, this bundle of sunshine was me. The pretzels were usually delivered to the school in a large square box, and as the days turned into weeks, the freshness of the pretzels dropped significantly. Even at age 6, we quickly learned that when a new box was brought out and the tape cut open, that was the day that beckons you with the allure of that perfectly golden and salted treat…and that's when my dilemma unfolded. No pennies. Steal or not to steal? What were the pros? No one would know. After all, it was an honor system. What was the con? I would know.
Yes, it's a classic moral tug-of-war, where the battle between my rumbling stomach and my inner youthful hero takes center stage. Buckle up because we're about to dive into the world of tough decisions and life lessons in the most unexpected places.
As a child, I learned in Catholic school that stealing was wrong. As a family member in the business, trust, honesty, and looking out for "stealers" was part of our job as we "worked" the store. The rules were clear. You do not steal. Period.
In our everyday lives, we encounter numerous ethical dilemmas, some seemingly trivial but thought-provoking, nonetheless. We all have them; let's remember that our kids and grandkids have them too. So, let's use them. Yes, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Our lifetime of experiences, knowing what we know, and the tough decisions we made to do "the right thing" or sharing the consequences of making the wrong one is one way to help the next generation deal with those predicaments they might be struggling with. Honest sharing of our impulses and desires is a priceless conversation. After all our power comes from sharing that none of us are perfect.
Remember, these conversations should not be punitive but rather an opportunity to talk about the values we uphold and our individual responsibility towards society and family.
So, what was the decision of that 6-year-old child to steal or not steal that lone pretzel?
I took that pretzel and turned…
Before I could take five steps back towards my seat, I recognized the wrongness of stealing and, with a six-year-old moral code, turned around, handed it back to the nun, and said I didn't have a penny to pay for it…sorry.
That sober-looking nun didn't miss a beat and handed it back to me and said, bring a penny back tomorrow.
It's a good thing because I had already taken a bite out of it!
Thank you, mom, dad, and grandma. By fostering a solid moral foundation, I was grounded in values that promote fairness, compassion, and honesty. Let's pay that forward. So, consider your moral values and how you will pass them on to future generations.
