The 2nd highest paid actor in Hollywood, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, once stole things from stores when he wasn’t making $50 million a year. This week he talked about how he used to steal king sized Snickers bars from a 7-11 in Hawaii, every day for a year, when he was 14. For years, it’s been bothering him that he did it. So, he went back to that 7-11 and bought every Snickers candy bar they had. Then he left them there for anyone who wanted one to have for free. He also paid for the bill for everyone who was there to buy something. It was his way of atoning. The way Dwayne put it was, “ We can’t change the past and some of the dumb stuff we may have done, but every once in a while we can add a little redeeming grace note to that situation — and maybe put a big smile on some stranger’s faces.”
When I was in grade school, we had a small shop on the corner. I stole some candy one day. The owner saw me, but didn’t yell or call the police. Instead, he called me over and said, “There are some kids stealing candy. I you to help me keep an eye out so I don’t lose anything.” He turned the tables and made me feel like I had a stake in keeping his shop safe. I never stole candy again. It took me a few years to understand what had actually happened, but it helped make me a better person.