It was supposed to be a fun birthday. One night in the city to dinner and a movie, then right back home.
Dinner went well at the cheesecake factory or so I thought. It was my first time there, little did I know, it would be my last.
After dinner we headed to our next destination, to see a movie in 3D at a popular theater in the city.
The first sign that told me things wouldn't end well was when I attempted to explain we needed to lock the car while we were attending the movie, but was reassured that it would be fine.
Two hours later after we exited the theater we discovered the car had been broken into while we had been inside watching the movie.
The thieves had ruffled through everything. They left no stone unturned and even took the handful of change that had been tossed into the glove compartment. But the thieves biggest find was the brand new iPhone that had been left in plain sight, an earlier warning I had hoped would result in locking the car.
I braced myself for what was coming next; it was going to be a long drive home. The silence was almost unbearable, a two-hour drive, the longest night of my life. Yet the worst part was the reminder that it was my birthday, a night that should have never happened.
Had it not been my birthday, had it not been for that visit to the city, the thieves would have never had the opportunity to break into the car and steal the cell phone or rummage through the glove compartment. What was supposed to be a special day, was nothing but a bitter memory, an angry reminder that would be replayed over and over again for a very long time.
But as time passed I realized two very important lessons:
There are just some things that I am not in control of. While I was unable to change the reactions of others, I could have reacted differently myself.
Stress can bring out the worst or best in us. Unfortunately, it was a situation that ended up bringing out the worst.
Yet again a reminder that we cannot control every situation thrown at us. All we can do is control how we react to ourselves.
Listen, there will be times when things don't go exactly as you had planned. You'll get annoyed, maybe even pissed off. Heck, it may have even been someone else's fault, not your own. But no matter the situation, you are the only one who is in control of how you respond. Just remember that my friend.
You might have not prevent people breaking into the car but leaving a phone, etc that wasn't a smart idea. We always learn, are teaches not to leave anything valuable in the car. No bags, no phones, no radio, no navigation, etc.
The great thing bout parties is you can celebrate when you like. I'm sorry about the phone. Good for you you could drive home and the car was still there.