My Thought For The Day: When In Rome, Don't Do As The Romans

Someone once said: "[w]hen in Rome, do as the Romans." I guess that this is a cool enough adage, and cool advice; however, it doesn't apply universally to all things or situations. For example, I read a blog this morning that reported on the case of Michael Reid, and a former employee of the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The story alleges that Mr. Reid, who is also the Minister of Music for Ark Saftey Christian Church, in Maryland swiped nearly $500,000 with the help of a former USPTO employee accomplice.

Now, for his alleged lapse in judgment, and white collar transgression Mr. Reid faces a fine of $250,000, and a 20-year prison sentence.

Beyond the basic dimensions of greed, I have never understood why people engage in white-collar or any other types of crime, but in this case white collar crime in particular. What makes a respected man or woman in one community get all wide-eyed and sticky-fingered when they have access to cash? I like to think that people really aren't that dumb, but hey, it is hard to argue with those who say that people are "that dumb" when day in and day out there are constant examples of people's eyes getting too big for their wallets. I guess this is the thing that causes accomplished people to falter. The fact that the more money that one makes--the more money one spends because almost everyone wants the niceties of life: nice home, luxury and/or late model cars, vacation homes, clothes, jewelry, (ahem, I mean bling), the list goes on and on.

Now, mind you--I didn't say that any of the material things listed above were bad or anything like that. However, the manner that people choose to acquire such material items is bad when people start devising and acting out plans to steal, misappropriate or embezzle the funds of their employer or another in order to support oftentimes, a lavish lifestyle that they have created for themselves, and their families. This is to their own detriment because in today's technologically advanced world, there are cameras on you almost everywhere you go in urban centers across America.

In the corporate and not-for-profit workplace, employers have ways to track nearly everything that one does from monitoring your computer usage, to using biometric technology, or digitized employee IDs or badges to access company facililities, to introducing smart photocopiers that digitize every document that you copy including personal documents (surprise) that you are not supposed to be copying on the company's dime.

I guess my point here is one that my mother made to me as a kid. My mother used to say: "if you don't have money to buy something--you aren't meant to have it [at that time."] Admittedly, no kid wants to hear this, however, as I traversed childhood to manhood my mother's words of wisdom became words to live by.

Nevertheless, in life we all make mistakes, we all falter and fall, but contrary to popular belief . . . there are some lapses in judgment or mistakes that are pretty much impossible to overcome without a lot of help, or a miracle.

So, the next time that you are in Rome . . . think about the fact that Roman Empire has been gone for centuries (it fell and didn't come back), and do the right thing--ask for the cookie first versus just sticking your unauthorized hand in someone else's cookie jar. For an in-depth report on the Michael Reid story click here. Have a great day!