Years ago, I was having a garage sale of pretty much everything I owned. The driveway was filled with years of accumulation, the garage was filled, and much of what was in the house was for sale as well. My husband manned the house while I took my post in the garage. Buyers came and went for hours. Although my husband was literally a few feet away, the wall between the living room and garage meant we were basically alone. As the peak hours crept away, so did the buyers. I finally decided to join my husband in the living room and let the occasional buyer come inside to pay. But one man had a different idea.
I used a tall ladder to separate the items that weren’t for sale and those that were. Our bicycles and a coveted three-step ladder sat on the other side. I trusted that people would honor the dividing line and if not, I could advise them once they came to pay. As the man and his two young sons approached the garage, I told him we were right inside the doorway if he made a find, and then I resumed my position. With the pickins getting slim, I thought nothing of it as I saw him pull off. I never thought twice that he didn’t come in to pay. Presumably, there was nothing he saw. Sadly, however, I discovered, the smaller ladder was gone. He and his sons were the last customers of the day and apparently, he had one of them cross the lawn with it tucked under his arm and out of our view. Sad because I really liked the ladder but more so for the lesson he had just taught…
