Disclaimer: I spent a lot of time debating whether to post this story or not. I didn't want this post to appear that I was looking for sympathy or donations because I am not. On the other hand, I started this blog to share my stories and experiences. Ultimately, I decided to share this post because there ended up being more information than just a break-in and to hopefully find the positive in a negative situation.
I have a small hunting and fishing cabin that sits on a piece of property that was owned by my great grandfather. It's nothing fancy and I don't spend as much time there as I used to, but it is still a special place to me. I've taken friends and family there for hunting and fishing trips and it has served me well for over 14 years. Thanks to the good folks at Premier Barns, I have never had a mouse, a snake, or any structural problems because it was built so well. Unfortunately, while I was on vacation in Colorado, I had my first problem with the cabin.
Last Friday, someone or some people broke into my cabin. They ripped off a shutter (installed for both security and to protect from hail), destroyed an exterior lock, and pried open the front door. Thankfully, my cousin, who lives nearby, was notified of the incident and filed a police report for me. He also gave me a call and gave me as much information as he could. I am so grateful for his efforts and thoughtfulness. I'm lucky to have him as a cousin.
I spent a big chunk of the rest of my vacation thinking about the who, what, and why in regards to the break-in. I knew that some of my questions would never be answered, but I might be able to make some sense of the incident when I was able to see everything with my own eyes. I arrived home last Sunday and was at the cabin bright and early on Monday. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Yes, a window needed to be replaced but thankfully the front door still latched. I put some plastic over the window and then started to take inventory of what was missing. This provided some answers but also brought up more questions.
What surprised me most was what was NOT missing. There was a number of things that held value that had not been stolen. My boat (now at my home), trolling motor (also at home now), and wood burning stove had not been touched. Instead, I was missing an ax, a spinning rod, and my grandpa's tackle box. I was also missing a tool box, some tools from a caddy, and an army ammunition box. The box contained steak knives, paper plates, paper towels, and other basic eating utensils. At some point, I put the puzzle pieces together that these weren't items of monetary value. They were items to meet basic needs and make life more more comfortable.
Just as I was about ready to head home, my cousin stopped by and that's when I felt like we MIGHT have cracked the case. He informed me that a friend of his had found a homeless camp in the middle of a CRP field not too far away. It was abandoned but showed obvious signs of recent activity. It hit me like a freight train. This activity didn't seem to be some bored kids looking to be mischievous. It didn't seem to be adults looking to acquire some items to pawn. It appeared to be some folks that were looking to make life easier and more comfortable.
Don't get me wrong, that realization didn't make me feel tremendously better. What it did provide was some sort of pseudo closure. It provided me an answer to the biggest question that I had: why? Of course, I could be wrong about everything but it is at least a hypothesis that I can lean on.
While I didn't want my cabin broken into, I do take some sort of solace in the fact that the items, which I rarely used and didn't really need, went to someone or some people that might get more use out of them than me. I wish that I could have just met them face to face to hand over the items, but life doesn't always give you what you want. I was mad at he/she/them for breaking a window, damaging my door, and for the cost of repairing the window because the ends don't justify the means. On my way home however, I knew that I had to let my anger go.
There must have been some desperation to do what he/she/they did and for that, I am sympathetic. They must have needed what I had more than I did, and I am not missing anything that was extremely important to me. Nobody was hurt. Nobody died. Repairs have already been made and life has moved on. I started to see the positive in the negative as well.
It took some time but I have forgiven the person/people. I was raised in a Christian church that shared the teachings of Jesus. One of the biggest elements of the Christian religion is forgiveness. For me to not forgive those that have wronged me in some way, feels like turning a blind eye to what I have been taught and what I believe. I'm not trying to alienate people that believe differently and I'm not trying to be preachy. I'm just sharing my perspective.
In addition, I am happy to announce that the window was fixed on Tuesday evening (less than 36 hours later after my request) by the good folks at Premier Barns. I have never fixed or replaced a window before so it felt appropriate to have the folks that built the cabin to complete the repairs. What I ended up learning was that the gentleman that replaced the window was one of the fellas that built the cabin. When I bought the cabin, a father was running the business side of the small company and two brothers were building the structures. Since then, two more brothers have started working for the company with the oldest brother taking over the business operations. The oldest brother, who must have helped build my cabin, was the one that repaired my window because the other brothers were so busy!
Life is a roller coaster. There are highs and lows. There were highs that I experienced on my vacation (which I will share next week) and I cam home to a low. Life isn't fair. It can be a mean place that can beat you down. Like Rocky Balboa once said, "But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward." Sturgill Simpson once said, "Life ain't fair and the world is mean." The Lord's Prayer states, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." In the end, a bad thing happened but it could have been worse. Life moves on and dwelling in the past is not helpful or healthy. Like Joe Dirt once said, "You gotta keep on keepin' on. Life's a garden, dig it!"
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