This morning I went to get into my car to go to the gym, and found that someone had busted in my driver’s side window and attempted to steal my stereo. Apparently my usually light sleep wasn’t disturbed by the glass breaking and the alarm of my car (though I’m not sure about the alarm). For once, I was sleeping soundly. *sigh*.

Now I don’t have much belief in the intelligence of petty criminals, if you’ve stooped to doing that you’re not the brightest bulb in the shed. But my thieves were seriously dumb, and obviously inexperienced. They tried to pull off the plastic dash stereo surround by putting a screwdriver underneath the innermost piece, and their screwdriver slipped and gouged the screen of the stereo. Once the screen was gouged, they obviously realized they’d dropped the value below what it was worth to steal so they aborted their theft and went on their way. What makes it even stupider is that the stereo has an anti-theft passcode registered with the manufacturer. Once removed from the power, without the passcode they would never be able to turn it back on. It’s not like it’s a top of the line stereo either. When I got it a couple years ago it was like $450 (it’s a combo stereo/gps/handsfree unit, I use it a lot for work), it’s probably only worth a couple hundred now bought new. If they fenced it at the local used stereo place they would have gotten $50, maybe $100.

So for $50-100 in profit, they cost me at least $500 in damages to my car, which I had to leave at the local dealership until Tuesday because they at least could keep it indoors since it was raining. Brilliant.

But you know what? I’m OK. And the reason that I’m OK is because I had money in my reserve fund that can cover the window replacement (which I think may not get up to my deductible on my car insurance), and a rental car. If I didn’t have that money, like I’ve never really had until recently, I would have been stressed beyond belief. Where to get the money to pay. How to get around without a car. This depletes all of my reserve, and I’ll need to build that back up. But it was there when I needed it and that’s the point. That money gave me a peace of mind I’ve really never had before in the face of an emergency.

And that peace of mind gives me the power to say I can pray for these morons and hope a higher power gives them a brain cell and a conscience so they can realize that their petty thievery only hurts themselves and others, and that they have the power to lift themselves to a better life.