A lock on a gate to a piece of property or on the door of a barn or shop or shed or business or house is making a statement. The lock is saying this is mine and I would rather you not go in. The closed gate or door should be enough of a statement, but the lock reinforces it.
It says loudly, "This is my property and if I want you inside, I will invite you inside!"
We already know this, but people are a little touched in the head these days. People understand the boundaries very clearly when you are talking about their own belongings, but seem to have little regard for the sanctity of what belongs to you.
They may slap you upside the head for looking at their stuff. But they will walk right into your house and take what they want IF they want.
I heard a man say when I was young that a lock only keeps an honest man out. I had to give that some thought. With time and experience, I came to understand what he was saying.
Most locks are not and can not be adequately manufactured to keep a determined or professional thief out of anything! Multiplied millions of dollars are spent every year on security systems and security teams. But thieves are working overtime to defeat every one of those systems.
Our locks say to the honest man, please leave this alone. I have been obsessive about locking everything for 35+ years. Yet, to the dishonest man determined to make what is mine his, the lock is a small hindrance and nothing more.
Common locks and security systems that we average people use would barely slow down a professional thief IF we have something they want.
I said a moment ago that I heard a person say when I was young that a lock only keeps an honest man out. As I said, I pondered that for a while. I understood better when that very man was caught breaking into the lockers of his friends and stealing their valuables.
Yep, I guess he was the voice of experience. He could get a combination or key padlock open in about two seconds. I guess we should have listened closer when he told us a lock only keeps an honest man out. He was very honest about that.
Interestingly, he was only stealing from his friends. I guess he knew what they had. Thankfully, I was not one of his friends.
Our old hitch for pulling the Green Machine needed to be thrown away. But it was attached with a locking pin to a valuable drop down for a Reese style hitch.
The locking pin had kept the hitch secure for twelve years. Over time, the pin had become bent and I could not remove it. I saw my neighbor outside and asked if he could cut it off. He did.
In about thirty seconds, with a cordless grinder and a cutoff wheel, he removed the locking pin that had kept my Blue Ox safe for twelve years. That was too easy!
The locking pin had spoken to a lot of honest people I suppose, but thankfully never made conversation with a thief.
I have no spiritual point from this, although there may be one laying around somewhere. I began thinking about this while we were home and needed to type it to see if it made sense. Does it?
Thank you for stopping by.
Davy
