If someone is stealing from you, that would logically indicate that you have more and they have less. In my assumed sense of charitable magnanimity *ouch, what a mouthful*, I would console myself with blanket statements, like,
"It must have been a homeless guy, deprived of food and forced to steal".
I didn't mind the broken lockers, it got to a point where I wouldn't leave anything there that I didn't mind being stolen. My lowest point resulting from common thievery came when I left my bass guitar and amp at church. Apparently the church let some homeless people in and allowed them to use the youth room to hang out. The next day, the homeless people decided to find a new shelter and happily left with my bass and amp!
I would conjure up images of how the nice people at the police station would catch the culprit(s) and call me with the good news -
"We've got your bass and your amp, please come and collect it from the station at Carlton".
I would ask to see the apprehended thief and I would be benevolent, maybe even take him out for his first proper meal in days!!! Then, I would walk around with my head held high and feel great like one of the Apostles or Mother Teresa. Fact is, if he were to be caught, I would probably want to acquaint my fist with his nose and then scream,
"That's for trying to steal my passion"
... or something dramatic to that effect. This was my first bass and it was special to me. The person we want to be vs. the person in real circumstances. Different situations bring out different emotions, nothing to be ashamed of, just an awareness of how far short we are from achieving greatness.
So, this guy I was talking about - the one that got robbed several times, ended up buying a Cort five string, fretless bass which cost 5 times the price of the first one and a kick arse Behringer amp... which he later sold in India for a bargain!!!
*I wish I was talking about someone else for a change!*
P.S. - Why do we always assume that a thief is a he??? I struggled to write, If she were to be caught.