When I was young and stupid, I stole/failed to return a customer's wallet when they left it at my work. He even came looking for it, fretful over the rent money that he had lost -- but I had already pocketed it by then and couldn't give it to him without exposing my crime. It had $200 in it (and this was 25+ years ago, making this significantly worse). I kept the money, spent it on god-knows-what, and forgot all about it for years.

Then sometime in my thirties, after having done a lot of growing up, I suddenly remembered what I had done -- I had suppressed the memory for well over a decade and a half.

I felt terrible about it, and rightly so.

The guilt would keep me up at night, sometimes -- I couldn't believe I had ever done that to someone. I genuinely felt awful about if for years; it would make me sick every time I thought of it, partly because there was no way I could ever turn back the clock and stop myself from doing it in the first place, and partly because I knew there was no way I could ever make it up to this person decades on, with no means of finding them.

Then by some karmic providence, I went for an eye exam a few years ago at a new optometrist I'd never seen before.

It was him. It was the guy whose wallet I stole all those years ago.

He was doing extremely well, doing booming business in a high-end boutique. He didn't recognize me, but I knew it was him after a little small-talk while he examined my eyes revealed a few details about him that all lined-up with the guy whose wallet I stole.

I bought a $450 pair of glasses from him in addition to the exam, and I have since recommended his clinic to several friends. I can never really make up for what I did, but I can try to make it right in small ways.

Teenagers, don't do stupid things like this. They'll always come to haunt you.