My car was stolen —
some thoughts on moving forward
. . .
by @d-pend. . . . . .
Welcome to my stream-of-consciousness reflection on my car being stolen. Read it if you like — or just scroll down and look at the sunset.
I don't believe in making myself a victim of anything that happens to me in life, but that doesn't mean I'm perfectly unruffled by circumstance. I take inspiration from the lives of great people who often endured much worse than I have ever experienced and used their seemingly negative experiences to become wiser and better human beings.
I haven't had the best track record with securing my old Kia Optima — a 2002 model, the car my parents got for me used when I was going through driver's education and the only vehicle I've ever owned. In fact, when I would think about someone potentially stealing it I generally found the thought amusing as I wouldn't expect someone to target such an old car. Looks like I left an extra key ring somewhere in the car that allowed someone to make off with it pretty easily.
There are no security cameras on my apartment complex; it's not covered by comprehensive as we took it off such an old car, and the possessions inside worth several hundred that would be covered by my renter's insurance are not over $500, which is the deductible. Basically, it is likely a total loss. Every seeming loss is just as illusory as every seeming gain to our real nature, which can neither lose or gain anything but only endures and transforms.
Even though going to India in 2015 woke me up to the fact that I depend upon material possessions more than I claimed, I still feel that my life is not, overall, centered around "things." I am very clear internally that possessions are temporary stewardships, at best — that I came with nothing into this world and I can take nothing out of it — even my "own" physical body.
And even though I feel strongly about my stance expressed on all of the above, it has still taken me a little while to accept it, not let it distract or demotivate me, and move forward with my existence without harboring any resentment against anyone.
Resentment and hatred are part of the animal inheritance of human beings and function like chronic, insidious illnesses that prey on and poison oneself from the inside. There is ultimately no grudge or grievance worth holding on to if we are truly focused on growth. Strange as it may sound, no one individual is to blame for any so-called occurrence as each "event" is the combination of innumerable factors that in the final measurement extend to everything that has ever happened or ever will happen.
While life appears chaotic to limited sense perception, there is a higher order of intricate structure in which all that occurs follows laws of cosmic intelligence. It is a trap to obsessively analyze past events for hidden meanings and nuances, because there is no end to the speculation, and understanding will be limited to the bounds of the intellect. Instead, it is best, when one is ready, to perpetually focus on moving forward.
Moving forward doesn't mean forgetting the past, condoning any actions, or allowing oneself to be a doormat for others; it means rising above circumstances and claiming one's innate power by consciously choosing how one will respond to the cards one is dealt.
I don't mean for this blog to sound too platitudinous, yet there is a lot of truth in sayings that have become chiseled in the pliable stone of the collective consciousness. One's experience in life is defined much more by the attitude with which one responds to circumstance than by the details of the circumstances themselves.
We all have inner struggles, periods of doubt and deflation, periods of joy and inflation, experiencing the natural low and high points of the human condition. What defines us most as individuals is our way of being as we travel the sine wave of embodied existence.
I'm doing my best to be grateful for this and every experience that I have, as well as trying to focus on learning as much as possible from whatever occurs so that the same lesson doesn't have to be repeated too many times! I really do feel very fortunate for all the opportunities I've had, have, and the ones that have not yet come to fruition.
I hope you enjoyed this somewhat personal reflection on something that happened to me recently, wish you all the best, and thank you for taking the time to read as well as all the support consistently shown on the original content I post to HIVE.
@d-pend
June 30, 2020
.
Images and writing are my own original content created for HIVE.
photos taken with iPhone 8+
Well that sux - I take it you reported it - my kids car was stolen it was used in a joyride by some idiot but they found it a few days later with some damage but still drivable - if you are lucky that is what happened - if it was a car ring you most likely will not see it again - will your insurance pay ? as is i am sorry as it is challenging in this country to live without .
Really good post and stands out but you probably know that as an excellent writer/philosopher. Moving forward is sort of a constant topic in my inner dialogue even including the more "rotten" parts of life that I suppose from another vantage point can always be taken in a variety of ways.
Axey
Wow
So sorry for your stolen car @d-pend.
It is very disheartening loosing one's property at this period, especially a gift like that.
I think you should find a way to fix cameras in your house and try to put adequate security in other.
Life is full of ups and downs.
Just take heart; since the car is old; it's high time you get a mordern new car.
I have been a victim once, so I know how it feels. All I can say is good luck... but eventually the lessons learned are more profitable, in the end, run... although, society loses because of these activities. Becomes, less interesting.
Beneath the waves you will find an ever flowing current.
One of my friends has had his car stolen. It is a situation of "impotence", but it is necessary to look ahead... Because it was just a material loss.
I hope you get another one pretty soon.
That was a wise reflection. As someone who has their items lost quite often, I learned the hard way that there'll be replacement so I shouldn't stress about it. Hope you'll recover your lost soon. I believe you will.
Hey, @d-pend, so sorry about your car. Loosing something like that, even if we are desprendidos, can be unsettling, to say the least.
The reading made the sunset look brighter, though. You are handling it with wisdom beyond your years. That's good.
I wonder, was the car stolen from that parking lot in the last image? How's the used car market in the states now? Is it possible to get used-but-in-good-shape cars at affordable prices? Credit? How possible is it for authorities in your area to find it and get it back to you in one piece?
Stay strong, my friend. Hope things get sorted out. We always remember you with the greatest appreciation.
I agree, as cliche as these sayings about the right attitude are, they really do benefit the soul. I, just like you, cannot imagine getting my old car stolen, (I will be more cautious now though).
But you know, everything for a reason in the seasons of life. Some wonderful experiences you may have missed having a car will be on this path....if you hold the right attitude and expect it and that is what you are doing. Stay blessed!
I admire the mature way you view the situation and even though anyone would feel shaken by such circumstances, you strive to rise above it with a healthy detachment from material things.
A tweet free for the taking —
A huge hug 🤗 and a little bit of !BEER 🍻 from @amico!
Un caro abbraccio 🤗 e un po' di BEER 🍻 da @amico!
View or trade
BEER.Hey @d-pend, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @amico for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.Rising above circumstances and choosing to have a good attitude about this is admirable. I think you coped with this very well. And yes, material possesions are nothing if you don't have inner happiness. Thank you for sharing, have an awesome day!
Thanks for the note of encouragement @creativemary! You have a great day, too :-D
Have you complained about the theft? Well, maybe this is a sign that you will get something better. Sometimes we hold on to possessions that are too old and refuse to let go and such a thing happens to make us realize it.
Glad you wrote about it.
The morning after I realized it was gone and confirmed it wasn't towed by my apartment office, I filed a police report, yes.
That is a very wise response! I think you are right — often we settle for less when life would be happy to give us more if we were only open to it.
Thanks for reading! How are things in Kerala?
Going on. The people here are more health-conscious, so we have less of the scare when compared to other states. Thanks for asking. I do hope your place is also returning to normalcy.
I like your thinking and I agree, it is like the universe is making space for something new.
I'm sorry, @d-pend. Even though you obviously have amazing perspective on what happened, and you have made some lovely choices about not harboring anger or a grudge against the perpetrator, it's still a loss and I'm assuming a bit of a hardship, unless you just have money lying around waiting to be spent on replacing an item that you intended to keep using.
That said, all of what you said is true - that we aren't taking any of this stuff along to whatever is next, and we're therefore just kind of borrowing it all for awhile. It's just... damnit, why do people take things that don't belong to them? It causes hurt, even to the most stalwart and centered of us.
Yep, it will definitely affect my way of life for a while as I don't have the kind of savings to be in the market for a new vehicle right now (unless you count my HP... but... I don't want to power that down just yet!) Who knows what will come along? For now going to take a day at a time and thankfully can do most of my work from home and even order groceries to be delivered.
Yeah, I wonder what someone did with it... maybe they really needed it or maybe they got into a stealing addiction, which gives a rush and a sense of power/the delusion of entitlement. The mind can always rationalize why we "deserve" to have something more than someone else. In fact, the ability of the mind to self-delude is practically unlimited, and again, something we all deal with to some extent or another!
Hope you're well @jayna and thanks for your comment :-)
I heard that most stolen cars are not recovered because they are broken down for parts. So it was probably purely financially motivated. Hopefully you can save up for a good used car soon. 😊
You are a very wise person, if you can look at things that happen in the world like that ...
Ohh this is bad i know your feeling cause 2 mounth ago my bike was stolen , when i saw early in morning bike was missing that was too bad but life is full of acident ...
You know..
Ahh, I'm sorry to hear that! Did you get another bike yet? And yes, I know what you mean — life is unpredictable and all we can do is try to be prepared but respond hopefully gracefully whenever it defies our expectations.
Yeah it is unpredictable ..no not yet i will get new bike two mounths later
Congratulations @d-pend! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your board And compare to others on the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPSupport the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
There are times to be wise and times to be raw. In this case, after something that held such an important emotional and sentimental attachment, I'd have gone for OTT emotion.
Take care. If you ever find the thieving scummy little toe-rags. Torture them.