A Break in won’t Break me

Less than 4 days after I moved the last of my stuff into my storage unit, it was broken into and ransacked.

They were looking for jewellery, so it was just my personal stuff that was trashed, and they took some niknaks and my charms and findings from my jewellery making kit. None of it will net them much, most of the charms were not even silver plated. Nothing in the storage was of any great resale value, just sentimental.

The shock of it all was a lot at first, and having to move everything again, only a week after sighing in relief that I wouldn’t have to move it all for a while, was merely an inconvenience, and actually, with help, I got it all sorted very quickly.

The icky feeling that a group of men rifled through and trashed my personal stuff though, lingers. They emptied out boxes of old love notes from exes, and threw my sewing machines on the floor, and created enough mess that I was sweeping up my belongings with a dustpan and brush.

There was much to be grateful for though. There was much they left untouched, and they could have destroyed more than they did, but their singular focus on jewellery meant that they ripped through quickly then moved onto the next unfortunate victim.

The crazy thing is, they would have got more money working a couple of hours min wage, than they got from my unit. But in a way, I’m glad they targeted storage and not houses. Having someone break into your home is much worse, especially if you are asleep upstairs, but I can’t help wonder if it’s really worth it. Did they get enough silver to melt down to pay for their beers? Was it all just for a laugh? Something to do in the evening? Do they work regular jobs and do this as a side hustle? Have they considered the consequences should they get caught?

Anyway, though at the time it was traumatic, causing a few sleepless nights, it only took a few days to sort out, and though I feel a bit anxious when I go to my unit now, I have mostly recovered from the experience. I just hope it is one that I never have to go through again!

The jumbled mess that days earlier was neatly sorted into boxes

If you want to gain insight into the mind and life of a thief, do check out Burglar to Buddha by Simon Paul Sutton. A funny and fascinating read!