Date: April 22, 2025
Author: Nathaniel Harris
I don’t know why I’m finally admitting this now, but I guess it’s been weighing on me for a while. When I was younger, I used to steal from my job. It’s not something I’m proud of, and I’m sure I’ll always feel guilty for it. But the truth is, I did it. And I can’t pretend like it didn’t happen.
I was a shift manager at a fast food restaurant, a pretty busy one. It was my first management role, and I had all these responsibilities on my plate, trying to keep things running smoothly. But the pay was low, and the hours were even worse. I was scraping by on minimum wage, barely able to cover rent, let alone basic necessities. Every week felt like a struggle just to survive.
Then one day, I realized something. I had the power to void transactions. I’d occasionally have to do it for various reasons—mistakes, customer complaints, whatever it was. But then, it hit me: I could take advantage of this. I could hand out the food, void the transaction, and pocket the money.
It wasn’t a huge amount at first—just small stuff. But over time, it grew. I’d use the money for food, gas, and sadly, cigarettes. It was never about getting rich or being greedy. It was about survival. I felt like I had no other choice. I knew it was wrong, but I justified it in my mind. I wasn’t stealing from anyone personally; I was just taking what I thought I deserved.
For almost a year, I kept this secret, living in constant fear that I’d get caught. But I always told myself it was temporary, that I’d find a way out of the situation. Eventually, I left that job, but the guilt never went away. Even now, when I think about it, I wonder how many other people were in similar situations, feeling like they had no other choice but to bend the rules.
I know it doesn’t make it right. I know I could’ve made better decisions. And I’m not proud of what I did. But sometimes, I wonder if there are more people out there who did the same thing, just trying to survive in a world that doesn’t always make it easy for everyone.
I’ve learned from that experience, but I’ll never forget it. I just hope one day I can fully make peace with the choices I made back then.
