This Watching Eye never sleeps…
Earlier in the year someone broke into the house and stole a few small items. Small, but they were items of comfort – like a pair of binoculars that I used on a daily basis. Because he had stolen a hand saw I had carelessly left in the yard, I suspected that the burglar was the fisherman who lives downriver…
Busted! I chose to pretend not to notice; I pondered the best way to approach him… “He needs it more than I,” I said to myself.
I also thought that I might find the saw later beneath some leaves or misplaced in the house or gardens. At the time there was no fence around the house, and I should have been more careful about leaving the saw outside where I had been working.
When I pondered his basic life and lack of proper shelter, I reacted (after adjusting to the loss) with compassion instead of anger. I realized how lucky I am to have been born into a loving family, to have been raised with a loose rein, with the freedom to grow up with a proper education balanced with an immersion in nature. How might I have evolved if I had no proper roof over my head or a formal education and the best shoes I owned were a mismatched set of rubber boots?
The canoe leaks but has character.
Instead of being angry, I decided to approach him through mischievous and creative ways.
With the help of friends, I placed a sign on the riverbank and stated that I knew who had stolen my saw and that the duendes (trolls) were going to be protecting me. Taped to the door is a sign that says that anyone who steals will be affected by a shaman’s curse. Guarding the door is a small little papier mache ‘man’ with sticks and feathers and a wedge of burned incense. (More about the incense below) Inside the house is a note on the steps that demands, “Return my things, bad person!”
When I see him on the river, I burn an aromatic wood called Palo Santo (Holy Stick) and play the shaman’s drumming music! I have painted little eyes on the driftwood throughout the yard and house, and this past week a great big pictorial message greets anyone who looks at the gate.
Do you think this will deter a future thief?! I am sure most that pass by will say, “She’s gone a little bit too crazy…” Reflecting on that I think of this song which marries the ‘watching” theme with my life here on the river.
Many people have visited the house; most say that they admire the life that I have and wish they could simplify as well. Some say that I have inspired them. Some just look, absorb the essence of the floors, the birds, the total immersion in nature, and they smile.
“Surprise surprise! – Step into the Magical Mystery Tour!”
But back to the gate, the eyes, and the theme of the watchful eyes; my Ecuadorian friends chuckle at the messages. One suggested placing a real human bone over the door and no one would dare cross that protected area. But where would one obtain a human bone?!
Do you have any suggestions to make a thief think twice before trespassing?
Do you know of more ‘Watching You” or “Eye” songs? If so, add the youtube link to your comment. This one seems appropriate:
as well as this:
I am writing this from town and am about to retrieve some little pieces of mirror to glue to the tiny eyes on the gate. I will be be home without reliable internet but will be back in town on Monday. I look forward to reading your suggestions!
Z – (Oops, I meant ‘Suzanne’)
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
It is a very creative way of protecting your belongings 🙂
Maybe he/she will think twice now.
thanks, i hope that it works as well! z
Don’t know if this fits the bill but it is fun to listen to.
Also I hope the link works. 😉
And I can loan you Rocky. He will be happy to guard your door.
So sorry your things were lifted. You always take on a kind attitude.
thanks! yes, rocky would do a great job!
the song is fun as well.. great beat!
thanks for the new music!
🙂
the video did not embed so i followed it out, and there was a ‘desktop’ in the link… i went to the video and copied the link from the youtube page… now it works! thanks again! heading home now.. z
Ugh. Thanks!
I think your ideas and actions rock. Maybe a bit of “blood” looking red paint dripping from a “fake” bone would help…oh my goodness sounds like getting ready for Halloween, lol Stay safe amiga
ha! yes, you are right – it sounds like halloween preparations! the faux blood is a good idea… wonder how i can create a fake bone…
glow-in-the-dark paint will be fun, too!
I appreciate the humour, empathy and compassion that you’ve demonstrated towards your river neighbour. If only more people approached life this way the world would be in much better shape than it is today. 🙂
What an awesome post Z! Your fisherman friend and just about anyone else that gets freaked out by watchful eyes’ will think twice before they touch (and take). An incredible piece of passion, your goodwill will come back to you in many, many ways. Love the fence painting – pure genius.
thank you, mary; i plan to paint another big eye on the back deck wall – this will be a really big one.. i am hopeful to find some glow-in-the-dark paint so that it peers out at him in the night! too bad you don’t live nearby to help w/some of the creative mischief!
Oh my, I’m hoping that this does the trick! You go girl. Can’t believe what you have to go through just to deter and find the culprits.
Medical students usually have human bones for study purposes if that helps 🙂
that is a great tip! thanks!
Awww, i think you need:
…someone to watch over you! 😉 Seriously though, it’s not nice to feel that someone’s been looking through your things. When I lived in London as a student, I used to put various booby traps all over the place and leave little notes! 😆 It’s really nice that you thought of this compassionately. Maybe you could try telling him next time to ask you to borrow something! The eyes are a good thing btw – try garlic too! 😉 Some people put warning signs, for example: ‘dangerous animal inside’! Anyway, I hope this is resolved peacefully! Be well and be careful! 🙂
that’s a lovely song; thank you! i would have loved to have seen those booby traps that you set w/notes.. a long time ago i left a note in our cabin on the lake and said that i worked hard to pay for that cabin and to please not steal anything.. no one ever broke into the cabin, thank goodness…
the little effigy has garlic on it as well.. thanks for that tip – i think i will dangle some garlic at the gate, too!
😆 My notes were quite similar: ‘I’m a student working to support my studies, my few belongings are very useful to me” sometimes I would leave £10 for them. Nobody ever ‘visited’ me either!!!
Happy Monday, Z!! 🙂
Z, I mean Suzanne, you should post a sign “If you have seen my pet boa constrictor, please let me know and approach gingerly. He was under the house the last we saw of him, but the neighbors keep losing small animals.” Maybe that will help. BTG
ha, you made me laugh. twice.
six years ago a small boa DID live in the house. it was a good pest controller for mice and bats and it lived at the roof line… a few months ago a larger boa came into the house.. i would like to think that it’s watching over the house? but where was it when the guy stole my binoculars?!!!!
the sign would be fun.. thanks!
Maybe you could put up a legitimate sign “Boa Crossing”
great suggestion – visitors will love it! z
I still think you should channel Marie Laveau. I found this Dr. John version that’s spooky as can be. Pipe it out into the night and I’ll bet you’d put some fear in someone!
you are funny! i wonder how i could find a way for him to see the video! i’ll have to set up some speakers on the rocks.. (make note to self.. buy speaker wire… lots of it…)
It would still creeeep me out that someone was in my house. I couldn’t be as nice.
you are right – it is a creepy feeling, but i got over it pretty fast… finding ways to spook him have been a fun challenge, so i should thank him, right?
Crimes of opportunities! I’m sorry this happened to you, but you came up with a creative solution. 🙂 When our hammock and long water hose were stolen, everyone in our neighborhood said to get a dog and keep a light on at night. So, we got a dog, and installed a spot light. We learned the hard way not to tempt those who have much less by keeping everything locked in the house or bodega. Next, we’re making a metal gate for the front of our property. We’ll be able to lock it, which still won’t deter anyone who really wants to come into our property because all they have to do is crawl under the barbed wire fence that surrounds the property. But, it adds to our privacy a little bit and if the gate is locked, most people won’t try to enter.
We bought a pellet gun and we practice in the front yard shooting at targets. Everyone in our neighborhood knows we have a gun, now. Although, we’d probably never use it. When Ron’s shoes and an iPhone went missing when we were building our house, we knew it had to be one of the workers. I wrote a little note in Spanish and put it in the worker’s hat ( a new worker I suspected). I told him I knew he had taken our things, and told him to return the items he stole. Then, not to return to our house to work. He was fired. I said, I had a gun and I knew how to use it. ( Not true, and I didn’t know how to use a gun.) He never returned our things, but he never returned to our house, either.
Once, we hung an urn with some of Bobby’s ashes, in a tree. The urn was stolen. I left a note that said, “You just stole my friend’s ashes. Curses will follow you for the rest of your life.” Most of the Nicas are very superstitious. They don’t like curses, voodoo dolls, or bad witch spells. They freak out if they know someone has cast a spell on them. Be crazy! That should do the trick. Buenos suerte mi amiga.
in one of lauryn hill’s cds, she says, ‘when they think you’re crazy, they don’t mess with you…’
the voodoo doll is a great suggestion…
Lots of good suggestions and watchful songs. What upsets me most with this type of theft is that, if the person had asked me for the saw or whatever, I probably would have said yes, or you can use it, or I would have found some way for the person to get what they needed. Have I mentioned this study before? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2313887/Bike-thefts-slashed-50-University-scientists-install-picture-pair-EYES-cycle-racks.html It shows that your watching eye is a very effective anti-theft tool! Stay safe.
that is a great study – thank you so much for the link…
next i will look for glow-in-the=dark paint… this will be fun….
That will be great fun.
Lyrics don’t quite fit, but the first tune to swim through my mind when I saw that pretty blue eye was this:
the song is great! i’m glad you liked the eye, and i hope that it is effective.
thanks bob!
You certainly seem to be on top of this. I honestly cannot think of anything else. Keep having fun with it!
At the hospital I worked in people would steal the toys from the children’s waiting area. I felt the same way as you – if people are so desperate that they need to steal from a hospital then they REALLY must need the toys…. better they have them. Tony
thanks, tony; it’s nice to know that you feel the same way – it’s better they have them than get stuck in judging someone else. we’ve all made our mistakes and with age we learn lessons and grow wiser… a dose of compassion helps as well.
This is a thoughtful post, and the responses are good, too. Of course your attitude is the best one to have in that situation, but I know theft leaves one feeling violated. Thievery can always be justified in words, but there is never a reason that one person is more deserving of objects than the original owner. I hope your beautiful painted eyes do the trick. Thanks, Lisa!
i have thought of another prop — find some glow-in-the-dark paint and place some items in the rocks along the river!
if we can’t beat them, we sort of join them, right.. he is going to wish he had never broken into the house!
Lovely Lisa. I like this story a lot. It is really important to remember how fortunate we are, to have compassion for others but then again ensure that they don’t continue stealing things from you. Love your eye. I’m curious if he will return the saw or apologize.
ja! i doubt if he will return the saw; it’s a good little saw, and he probably uses it a lot. i have a new one… one day we will have a one-on-one talk. earlier i was too off guard to confront him – i would have let my emotions affect what i said..i have learned to give things plenty of time and approach conflicts with wisdom and not ego!
as for you, lovely mother, it’s about time for your precious children to start school.. i always love seeing the photos as they grow and evolve.
As I read your post the song Private Eyes by Hall and Oates came to mind!
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/halloates/privateeyes.html
Trying to get the video to pop up here! If this doesn’t work – please erase!
it did not load, but i will be in town tomorrow and can find it on youtube and put it in your comment… thanks, it’s great for the theme!
🙂 Sorry about that not working! It is the chorus that got me with your post…Private eyes watching you, they see your every move….
Love the post! there are theves everywhere, & yes I have had the same thought pocess. I love your solution, & may even implement something similar! Thanks for the suggestion.
thank you,dear karen – i realized long ago that conflict based on ego was not worth the energy.. it was a lose-lose situation. finding ways to send subtle messages is much more fun!
Haha!I love this post! It breaks my heart when someone betrays me trust like that, thanks for sharing you kind, generous, an forgiving way of dealing with this experience. Your inspiring , for sure!
thanks, amiga; yes, you have encountered some disappointments as well.. it’s part of it – we cannot let it pull us down – we digest what happened, adjust and move on…
What a lovely way to respond to this poor man! Those second thoughts (after thinking ‘you utter bastard’) are so rare in so many people. 🙂
thank you! you made me chuckle! i wish i knew what he thought when he first saw the giant eye!
I hope your neighbour feels guilty and I’m sure that eye will keep him away.
the eye theme started with one here and there and sort of snowballed.. that one will surely send him a strong message! thanks amiga!
I applaud your non-reaction to the crime. You have every right to feel upset, but we have to remember that our reactions manifest our experiences. Getting upset only makes it more likely to happen again. It is not about being a good person. It is about attracting the life you want. My 2 cents.
Looks like the Illuminati all-seeing eye. Strange for me because the information regarding the Illuminati has been “haunting” me recently. Your painted eye may be what drove me to your site….no pun intended. Sav
thanks, lovely savannah – i have to remember that his culture and my upbringing are quite different. i have read that the indians from remote areas often have a childlike curiosity and do not think it is wrong to take something that interests them. aside from his lack of conscionce for stealing, i like him – he is funny and i will probably paint him and his canoe one of these days… life has too much good to get stuck on the faults of others!
the eye evolved because of the horrid color on the gate – i had bought white and got it home and opened it and it was lavender.. the store would not exchange it,so i said, ‘ok.. the base coat can be that color – but it was horrid! i wondered what i could paint to tone it down.. and the eye was the solution… i have painted lots of little eyes here and there to spook him, and that one sends him a strong message!
that particular eye was based on the king tut amulet that represents strength and protection… i totally understand your reaction and had not thought of the illuminati symbolism…
Well it sounds to me like you’ve taken all the most wonderful, organic steps to protecting your domicile from itchy fingers. That “eye” on the fence would scare the bejeezus out of me and I don’t scare easily. And then, the incense on the boat? Whoa. Only a crazy person would mess with you. He hasn’t been back, has he? I’d say you nipped the thief on his light fingers. I love that song by the Police, btw.
Too funny Lees! I applaud you for looking past your anger and feeling pity for the man but, on the other hand, I’m glad you are not going to sit back and let him continue to steal from you. Miss and love you sis!
I love the watchful eye Lisa – beautiful colors. I hope that the bad juju convinces the thief to return your stuff. And did anyone mention Loggins and Messina’s “Angry Eyes?” The live version was always my favorite. ~James
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFM-VaUO_CE
oh yes, that is a great song! thanks!
i visited your post yesterday but don’t think that my comment reached you.. such a drag to spend the time commenting and then get a white retort which wipes away teh comment and says, ‘you must be connected to the internet..’ or ‘your internet signal has been lost…’
grrrrrrrrrrr.
I don’t have any suggestions, but I love that you decided to have some fun with this! It’s all about how we react to things, isn’t it? Maybe your simplified lifestyle helps you to see things with such an open perspective. How lucky!
i am so glad that my simplified lifestyle allows me to take things lightly and to remind myself, ‘if this is the biggest problem i have, i am lucky.’
i’d say that my biggest ‘problem’ is lack of dependable internet, as i miss being on top of all posts that interest me and able to get my comments to leap over those sluggish lines of communication!
i think hope this one will reach you… z
good luck to your ART, dear Z/L.! Today I’ve featured another little gallery (in UK, near to the water too):
just read it and followed the link and enjoyed the images.. i paused when i read that some of the work was made from ‘debris’ from the house….
mother earth has given us a rough ride this past year…
Good understanding attitude, the eyes have.
The the well chosen music lifts the spirats.
Vengeful actions hurt both parties
but some action is needed and you have found the answer.
Oh that poor fisherman he will learn.
Ask and you shall receive, take and you will get more than you bargen for._/\_