Define stealing....

Years ago I worked at the mall and one night our store was robbed. It wasn't at gun point or anything dramatic / scary like that, but due to the nature of the robbery all employees that worked that day & night had to take a lie detector test.

I had never taken a lie detector test before and was quite curious and a bit excited for the chance. But whenever I think of this test I crack up. Every. Single. Time.

Before the test begins the officer had asked me if I have ever stolen anything, I can inform him now so it won't affect my results. (Or so he said, but I now think it's a tricky way to get a confession.)

Have you ever seen The Goonies? Remember that part where chunky is tied up and and he's crying while he says "this one time... " and he spills every single prank he's pulled. Well that was me. Minus the crying.

I spilled about every instance that I was given too much change at a store or when I returned an item and was given a little more money than I had originally paid for it. But I would never noticed at the store it was always after I got home. I had every intention of returning to the store to make it right but I was lazy. (And I may still be lazy) Since I was lazy I would justify that it was only $0.05, $0.25, or $1.00 so it's no big deal.

After I spilled all my beans the officer just kind of looked at me and it was quiet for moment before he told me that was nothing. So I was like, "Oh! Well then I haven't stolen anything."

But now I don't know if I can say that anymore.... let me tell you a funny story.

In Egypt the merchant's have a way to entice tourists to look at their goods. They hold something up or get something in your hands and say "free gift." But it's not really a free gift. I would often talk to the jewelry store worker on the cruise ship and one evening Aarti and I were in there and he jokingly told us something was a "free gift" We just started at him and said "We know what "free gift" really means here in Egypt." and he just laughed at us because it's true.

On one of our excursion we're getting settled into our horse drawn carriages to go to the Edfu Temple when a sneaky merchant comes up to me and puts a scarf in my hand and says "free gift" I try to give it back to him but he quickly backs up so I can't. Then the carriage takes off while I'm still holding the scarf. I look at my fellow travel companions (Jamie and Josh) and ask "what am I supposed to do?"

Once we're at the temple I grab our wonderful guide and ask for her advice, she tells me the merchant isn't going to let his merchandise go; he will remember my face and will be there waiting for me. She then tells me that I can attempt to give it back to him then (attempt is the key word) or just get on the boat and have a free gift like he said.

I decided he did say free gift and since he wouldn't take it back, that's what it was. So we came up with a plan. Josh was going to be on one side of me while Jamie was on the other and as soon as we got out of the carriage we headed straight to the boat. As we get on the plank I hear someone yell "Hey lady give me back my scarf!"

Most likely he was yelling at me, but seriously he could have been yelling that to anyone. Do you know how many "free gifts" get handed out? Needless to say we smiled as the guard opened the door to let us in and then high-fived each other on my free gift. (Oh, how I love and miss Egypt!)

Here's my free gift

So, can I still say "Oh I haven't stolen anything." I think I can because he did say free gift and I tried to give it back to him... at first.