The Way to Happiness Reforms Homeless Boston Criminal

BOSTON - The first sign that something wasn’t right was hearing the doorbell ring, opening the door and seeing a Boston Police car parked in front of our house. My 15 year old daughter and her 6 year old sister were standing on the steps in front of the police. I quickly scanned their faces and the youngest one had a suppressed smile.

Huh???

The officer explained that they were escorted home because a homeless man had stolen their train fare as they were entering the “T” station. (Boston’s description of their rapid Transit system.)

I thanked the police profusely and ushered the girls inside.

‘What happened?’ The 6 year-old was delightedly talking about being driven home in the police car!!!

My oldest daughter told me this. “Mom, these two bums approached us and asked for a dollar. I told them if they picked up some of the trash in front of the station then I would give them a dollar. One guy started picking up trash and the other one got angry and grabbed the money out of my hand that I was going to pay for our train fare.”

I had to hold back the laughter due to how I raised my daughters!!!

You see, my daughters were raised with The Way to Happiness® and particularly the “Be Industrious” chapter. When it came to asking for money for things, my husband and I wanted them to be able to have pretty much whatever they wanted, so we told them if they did some jobs around the house, in addition to their usual chores, then we would give them some coins or a dollar. It was a pretty successful method of keeping the whining to an absolute minimum and keeping the house pretty neat and clean. This application of the “Be Industrious” chapter also helped to instill a good work ethic in both girls. The Way to Happiness® is a common sense, non-religious moral guide written by author L. Ron Hubbard that is used in public schools and prisons and other settings around the world to help increase competence and moral values.

But back to the thief.

Because this man had stolen money from people before, he wound up having to go to court a few weeks later. My oldest daughter also went to court. She was dressed in her lovely blue suit and because of the way she carried herself, most people thought she was closer to 20 years-old.

When the judge gave her a chance to tell her side of the story, she did but when she started to add some of the common sense information from The Way to Happiness about there being only two reasons why people steal, the judge interrupted her and said that this was not admissible in a court of law. But the thief actually got very interested and wanted to know. So the judge allowed her to read from the book.

“Stealing things is just an admission that one is not capable enough to make it honestly,” my daughter read. “Or that one has a streak of insanity. Ask a thief which one it is: it’s either one or the other.” [Precept 13, “Do Not Steal”, page 39]

Then the thief asked if he could have a copy of the book. With the judge’s permission, my daughter handed him the book.

Two years later, my daughter was at the same station where this incident happened. Then, someone busily interacting with passersby caught her eye. She took a closer look. It was the thief! He no longer looked like a homeless person. And he was no longer ‘a thief’!

He had a job. He was selling newspapers.

She smiled, entered the station and went on her way.

The Way to Happiness can be put into anyone’s hands. The gift of common sense is just that. It’s a ‘gift’.

Sincerely,
Caralyn P.
President
The Way to Happiness
Foundation International