Like most people, I love a bargain. Last Sunday found me browsing through the local swap meet, on the prowl for treasure. My eye was caught by a steam iron that I have always coveted but couldn’t justify buying. It was one of those “steam stations” with a pressure tank. It looked OK apart from some melted plastic on the base where someone had goofed when putting the iron down. I asked the seller, “Does it still work?” and he assured me it did, so I took the risk and bought it for the princely sum of $10.

 

I was prepared for the fact that maybe it wouldn’t work at all, but what I was not prepared for was sparks shooting everywhere! I was pretty annoyed, because sharp trading is one thing, but selling someone an item that could kill them or burn down their house is criminal. I turned the offending item over to Himself, who figured out how to get into its works (not easy, judging by the muttering and cursing that resulted) and fixed the faulty switch for me.

 

The end result was that I ended up with a $300 iron for $10 and a smile on my face, while the seller ended up with $10 and a stain on their conscience. So what has all this to do with revenge, you may be asking?

 

Well, it’s as I often have to tell my callers. The best “revenge” when someone has done you wrong is to be happy. People who are truly happy don’t knowingly do bad things to other people. If someone has deliberately been dishonest or unkind, then it comes from a place where they are dissatisfied and miserable within. Wishing for revenge just locks you into a bad situation. Cut the tie. Choose to be happy. That’s the best outcome you can ever wish to have.