Mystery shoplifter issues apology 40 years on

[UM-Bot]

An anonymous shoplifter has written a letter to apologize for stealing chocolate from a shop four decades ago.

https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/319686/mystery-shoplifter-issues-apology-40-years-on

[+ouija ouija]

" I didn't know any better"! Pfft! I suppose it makes them feel better to say that. So it's an apology ...... but it also isn't.

Edited July 15, 2018 by ouija ouija

[Eldorado]

This has me wondering how many people alive today are guilty of stealing a sweet or two from the old Woolworths Pick n Mix.  Couple of million?

[Imaginarynumber1]

What atrocious handwriting

[Stiff]

4 minutes ago, Eldorado said:

This has me wondering how many people alive today are guilty of stealing a sweet or two from the old Woolworths Pick n Mix.  Couple of million?

Couple of million and one 

Also, the handwriting looks like he wrote it when he was a small boy. That's not a dig btw, when I've not written anything for a while my handwriting could be construed  as a doctors.

[Still Waters]

He must have had one heck of a guilty conscience! 

I wonder why now? but I think it's good he apologised even if it did take him 40 years to get around to it. At least his conscience is clear now and his £5 is going to a good cause.

Quote

Because the shop in question is no longer in business, officials at the shopping center took the decision to donate the money to a children's hospice charity.

 

[Vox]

Anyone stopped to consider that the individual in question might have learning disabilities? Rationale:

Poor capitalisation.
Consistent mistakes in respects to grammar.
Use of a brown slip of paper to write a letter - looks like the back side of a brown C5 envelope.
As much as a gesture is concerned, and notwithstanding its positive message, it does come across as a somewhat childish and naive thing to do. I would have thought that an ordinary adult would have internalised this action as a child and not placed much more thought towards the matter.

I understand that it might very well be someone that has an (unfortunately) poor educational background, but personally, I think there's more to the individual that wrote the above other than an inability to convey the action they have so, kindly, wished to pursue.

All the power to her/him. I hope that they are happier now that this burden has been eased off their minds.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Vox

[+ouija ouija]

My guess is they don't have long to live(or think they don't), and are trying to put right as many of the 'sins' they think they have committed as possible. Probably Catholic; want their Maker to see them in as good a light as possible when they meet.

[Stiff]

It could also be part of a program like the Alcohol Anonymous use with their 12 step program. One of the them I believe is to 'right previous wrongs' kind of thing. That could explain the hand writing too.

Not that I know anything about the AA mind. It was my other half that mentioned it. (I must ask her how she knows so much about it  )

[Myles]

My guess is that his parent forced him to write this way back when it happened, but it never was sent.   He found it in a box of mementos and decided to finish the job. 

 

[Calibeliever]

Or it could be "Step 9: Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." Someone might be taking their step work a little seriously. 

[TripGun]

Mom must have found out.