The rest of the "Namaste, you big jerk" story:
Someone mentioned the story to me the other day with concern, and was relieved when I told her that indeed, I had gotten my money back, that the credit union I belong to was very nice to me and helped me navigate the process…so here’s the rest of the story…
After the shocking experience of having my money stolen by a stranger in Florida, I steeled myself for the complicated process of reclaiming my stolen money at the credit union. Then something remarkable happened. My last blog post about my reaction to having my accounts hacked and money stolen inspired a lovely woman I know named Susanne to send me private message about a similar experience she had. Her response was a little different. And brilliant. And challenging. When faced with similar theft, instead of "why me?" Susanne asked herself, "why not me?"
At first my defensive self scoffed at the question. Then I took a deep breath and realized she was right. For someone else, having all their money stolen and having to wait 10 days for the bank to take care of the problem could have been devastating. Just having to take time off work during the day to go to the bank and file the fraud report can result in lost pay. I am privileged to be part of a household where mine is not the primary income. I work from home and make my own schedule and can afford the time to go to my credit union and let them help me file a fraud claim and get my money back. My money was protected, thanks to the insurance the institution carries. I will lose only a few hours over this. And perhaps gain a few more grey hairs. But I will not be harmed. No children will be hungry. No wages lost. I have a strong supportive community who care about me. I will be fine. If it had to happen to someone..."Why not me?" indeed.
So when I went to the credit union to file the fraud claim, I took my journal with me and sketched out some new design ideas as I waited, Suzanne's zen-like wisdom fresh in my mind. I sat for almost two hours with a lovely woman who helped me feel better about the situation and gave me some good advice about how to help prevent this from happening in the future as I filed the report. I signed a bunch of official documents. I initialed the 9 fraudulent transactions. I made a new PIN number for my shiny new debit card. When I went out to the ATM to activate the new card, it didn't work. So back into the credit union I went, and the kind folks took great care of me. Again. The next day, my balances were restored to their pre-theft levels. Suzanne was right. And I find myself now feeling a bit more grateful for the privilege that I so often take for granted. And for the abundance that has come to my business since this theft occurred.
Thank you, Karma.
