The Little Things

Do you know what it means to "Bic" someone? That's a Gen X slang term for stealing someone's lighter. It used to happen frequently when a group of friends got together to smoke weed.  The joint goes out, you borrow someone's lighter to relight it, the conversation goes on with you being fully engaged, the owner of the lighter gets distracted, eventually you forget about it, stick it in your pocket and walk away. 

There are a couple of my friends who became known for this. One guy even had a collection of stolen lighters that he bragged about. He kept them in a little box that he would show you when you went to his house.  It wasn't that he was trying to do anything wrong, it was just because he was stupid.  Eventually he got a reputation for it, so whenever somebody was missing a lighter, they would go right to him.

Pens are another common item that gets stolen frequently without people even realizing it.  I'm reminded of the pens that are attached to the little chains, that are stuck to the counter in the bank or post office.  

So, why would I even bring up something like this on a blog about wisdom?  Because it's an example of the little things that real humans do that irritate each other. It's one of the little mistakes that some people make, often without even realizing it, but at the expense of another. It's taking away a little thing from somebody, that would result in nothing more than a minor inconvenience. 

It's still wrong though, isn't it? Eventually you'll move on and forget about it, the person may never even realize what happened to their lighter or pen, it will hardly have any impact on their lives, but it's still wrong.

The thing about these little things is that they add up over time.  A lot of little things in a relationship, for example, can lead to big problems eventually causing her to get sick of your shit and throw you right out on your butt. It also gives her a lot to use against you in the future, because she will remember and throw it in your face every chance she gets. 

Also, something that seems little to you, may be pretty big to somebody else. You never know.

The good thing about the little things is the good little things that you do in the world are multiplied in the same way.  Think about it.