My car was broken into this morning. The car was parked on 1st Ave., just outside the East Village Temple (Sanctuary Ashram). I almost saw it happen. I was just a moment to late. I stepped out of the building to move my car for street cleaning and I heard the car alarm go off. I saw someone in a hooded sweatshirt tuck something into their jacket and walk very nonchalantly away from my car and around the corner onto 2nd St. I immediately had a bad feeling. I ran across the street through the morning traffic and saw the passenger side window was broken and glass was all over my car. I just kept running in the direction of the hooded figure half expecting him to be gone, but after I rounded the corner there he was - half a block in front of me - walking down the street oblivious that I was running full speed behind him. I thought about tackling him and grabbing my bag, but then a thought popped into my head. ‘What if he has a weapon? I don’t wanna be wrestling with this guy and have him pull out a knife or a gun’. I guess I yelled, “Hey! Stop. I saw you break into my car and steal my bag,” or something like that. He glanced over his shoulder at me and I watched his hand reach around to his back pocket and start to pull out a knife with a blade the size of my palm. I was glad I hadn’t gotten any closer. I stopped running and kept telling him to give me my bag back. He said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What bag?” but I could see the bulge in his jacket. I told him, “You can have whatever you want. Take my cash. I don’t care, but give me the bag back. It doesn’t matter to you, but it’s important to me.” He said, “Why are you making a scene? Come over here and talk to me.” There were two or three passerbys warily watching our exchange. My bag thief was trying to get me to walk into a courtyard off the main street and deal with him there. I said, “Forget it! You stay there. I’m fine here. Just take what you want and put my bag on the ground.” He was getting all fidgety. Then he seemed to have a 180 degree change of heart. All of a sudden he started apologizing and said he had “screwed up”. He said, “Please don’t call the cops on me. I just need some money man. Come here and get your bag.” I said, “No way! You drop the bag there.” He started inching towards me. Finally he just handed me my bag and stepped back. Then he begged me for some money. He said he was hungry. So I gave him a few bucks and walked away. He thanked me as I walked off.
Now the car’s at the window repair shop until tomorrow and we’re bumming rides around town to the upcoming kirtans. LOL. I like moments like this because it is rare that we’re in situations where we have absolutely no control. It allowed me to depend totally on Krishna and just try my best. Now…more kirtan. Tonight we are doing kirtan at Jivamukti on Broadway. See you soon.
Kirtaniya Sada Harih!
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