Do you believe in Karma?

[Blueface]

I have always wondered.
So many, including me, say what goes around comes around.
For that reason, I try to follow the Buddhist way of living as much as I can.

I have never found joy in any type of human calamity, even when it involves those that have harmed me in some way.
I treasure life and truly wish no one any harm.

Two years ago next month, my daughter had a car accident.
She was 8 months pregnant at the time.
She was following a vehicle too close I guess and ended rearending it and pushing it into the vehicle in front of her.
Ended up being a three car collision with her hitting the one in front of her and pushing that vehicle into the one in front of that.
My daughter's car was a mess in the front. $4k in damages.
The vehicle she first struck sustained considerable rear end damage with some very minimal damage to the front.
The front vehicle had a scratch in the bumper.

My daughter called me hysterical and I went to the scene with my wife.
My daughter was a mental mess when I arrived.
She hit herself on the steering wheel and was feeling pains.
She refused ambulance treatment. My wife and I finally convinced her to let us take her to the hospital when it was all over.

The guy in the last vehicle truly only had a scratch. I am well trained in auto body and estimates. He had no structural damage whatsoever. No reinforcement damage on the bumper. No unibody damage of any kind. Just a scratch on the cover. To prove my point, his final damages payment was around $500 which involved body work to the bumper, removal to repair it, putting it back on and the labor and materials, including paint. In spite of minimal damage to his car, this guy almost had my daughter's boyfriend kill him, with me right behind him to make sure he finished the job.

You see, this guy had no concern about a pregnant 19 year old. He had no concern about her potential life threatening injury to an unborn child. He was more concerned with telling her what evil she could die from and more concerned with faking injuries at the scene to file a subsequent lawsuit. He cussed her out. He yelled at her. He made her the mess she was when we arrived. Basically, that SOB could have been the reason for me not having a wonderful grandchild today. A pregnant 19 year old, injured, drove away with me. He was hauled in a stretcher by an ambulance.

Here is the reason for my question of Karma. I just learned his case was settled. He received $9,500 for his troubles. One third of that goes to his attorney. While it infuriates me he received that, being in the insurance business, in my state, had my insurance company not settled for that, a ridiculous jury could have taken it out on the insurance company and awarded hundreds of thousands. While learning of the settlement, I also learned of his demise. He has terminal prostate cancer and has a short time to live, hence the rapid need for a settlement and no trial down the line.

One last thing. My daughter swears that car in the front, this guy's, stopped for no apparent reason.
The car in front of her that she first hit said the same thing.
The people in the middle car had no injuries and never filed any and had a small child with them.
I suspect he was seeking some money and found a way to cause an accident.

So..........I feel awful right now. I feel awful because I truly wish no one any harm but yet find myself with some weird sense of joy that there is Karma. You get back what you dish out. He may be getting $6,000 but he won't have much time to enjoy it.

[JE3146]

Interesting story... and I have to say I'm a firm believer of karma. It seems good things happen to me only after I've been good to others. I try to live by that philosophy as much as possible. I figure even if it's a load of crap, it at least lets me feel good about my actions, and that at the very least is comforting enough to have a better day than most.

[Ashcan Bill]

I'll be nice. No comments about the gentleman in question.

But you did give me a bit of a smile this morning!

[Da Klugs]

Carlos... grandchild OK is the big issue.

Intentional? I believe there are folks out there looking to do exactly what you describe. Have had a few near misses based upon "phantom stops". Law is funny about rear end collisions.. it's always the one in the rears fault.

Karma? Faith? PIF? Good things come to good people? No good deed....? Life has may intersecting and overlapping circles both seen and unseen. The unexpected rewards of a good life are both internal and external. The external aspects being those typically described as Karma, fate, the lords will..etc. I believe that the majority of people are good the majority of time. Makes life a positive experience. You increase the odds of experiencing it from external sources by being good to a greater degree but good will find you none the less in some form or another based upon the odds, most people are good people. The same is true with the opposite.

[Mugen910]

I beleive in Karma to the fullest..If it feels weird that you would smile at the demise of another keep in mind that it was not your doing to cause that person harm.

My biggest concern would be the daughter and grandchild.

Time has a funny way of altering things in life.

[Don Fernando]

Karma yes, I believe in it. What goes around comes around.

Originally Posted by Blueface

He was hauled in a stretcher by an ambulance....

He received $9,500 for his troubles.

Seriously, wtf? That sucks Carlos. I too have been hit (twice in the last year) by two different people who claimed it wasn't their fault when it clearly was. Fortunately, there were no injuries but my 1-week new car last April suffered $4k in damages in the first accident. This guy who hit me told me to call Fox (the studio for which he worked) and they'd take care of everything. When they finally got a hold of the guy, he changed his story and said it was my fault (I'm sure, so he could save his job) which it most certainly was not.

And Fox had a nifty little way of skirting liability.

My insurance co, directed at Fox's insurance co: "Do you take responsibility for the accident."

Fox's insurance co: "Nope."

My insurance co: "Hmmm......well, let's take this to arbitration, okay?"

Fox's insurance co: "Nope."

Case closed and I had to cough up my $1k deductible. Could have been worse, much worse, could have had more damages, there could have been injuries, could have cost more...but if the guy was a standup guy which we should all strive to be, he would have stepped up and taken it like a man.

Throughout the whole thing, I was pretty calm, took a bunch of pictures and thought it was pretty obvious that the guy who hit me from the rear (yeah, get that...) was at fault.

Guess he'll get what's comin' around.

2nd accident....long story short, I'm watching a crazy woman driving in traffic & almost side-swipe several cars in the 2 mile stretch while I've watched her. I should have moved off the main road and let her kill somebody but instead, I kept on. I was tired and just wanted to get home but I did call 911 and reported her. Just before she hit me.

And then somebody from a car behind her comes out and consoles her as she's a complete basket case and claiming that she corrected her reckless driving. I guess I was invisible that day. And yet, it was nice that I was there to eventually stop her reckless driving by being the pillow into which she drove.

While I absolutely feel your pain Carlos, just remember that it could have been worse and try not to let it eat you up that this guy is getting off with a wad of cash (it ain't easy). You have to live your life the best way you know how, be the best person you are, exercise gratitude like you do with having your daughter & grandson safe & sound, and things will work out. Some people really suck but if you're doing the best you can with the life you control (and you can only control yours), well, things like the joy you have with your grandson will be the much deserved reward.

[CasaDooley]

Like we used to say in the military, karmas a M@#%*R F^@&%R.
Sorry to hear it happened in the first place Carlos, glad no one was seriously hurt.

[G G]

In the Bible it's known as the law of reaping and sowing. Not trying to make this about religion, but just my beliefs. I have seen it as well.

[NCRadioMan]

Sounds like a fun couple of weeks Carlos.

The dude with the well pump, the tv and now this. What's next?

[karmaz00]

yup im a believer...dude my last name begins with karma

[rrplasencia]

Originally Posted by Don Fernando

Karma yes, I believe in it. What goes around comes around.

[ucubed]

I too am a HUGE believe in Karma. One of the few things I truly and absolutely believe in. All the effort I put in now might seem to be a waste, but I know that Karma will come back around and good things will happen if I continue on this path of giving.

[taltos]

I don't believe in karma in the Bhuddist manner but as a Catholic, I believe that your good deeds are given credit and you pay for your misdeeds. The difference is that I don't feel that repayment has to be in your time on earth.

[Footbag]

I do not believe that Karma is passive. In other words, karma only works if you and others are actively practicing it. Being that I go through my life trying to be conscientious of others, I just hope it comes back, and it usually does.

I don't know what I believe anymore. All I know is that I have been show more generosity and kindness in the past 12+ months then I could have possibly been "due" by the combined good deeds I have done in my lifetime.

My dad always said, "just try and be a little better person today than you were yesterday".

I'm working on that.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

My dad always said, "just try and be a little better person today than you were yesterday".

I'm working on that.

That is a great way to live and what I too try to follow.
I have always believed in leading by example.

As a side not Carlos, if I wind up half the man my dad was I'll die happy.

[Mr.Maduro]

If I believe, does this mean I have to start being nice to you?

What will I do for fun?

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

As a side not Carlos, if I wind up half the man my dad was I'll die happy.

As a side note to your side note:
Here is a poem I treasure hanging in my home's office.
It is in Spanish and I am translating it.

Life is like this:
At 7, dad is a genius

At 10, seems to me dad is wrong on occasions

At 14, dad doesn't know anything

At 21, dad is behind the times, has old thinking

At 30, this is a tough/delicate situation, let me consult with dad

At 40, had my dad had my experiences in life to date, at my age, my dad would have been a self made millionaire.

At 50, dad was a genius. Too bad I realized that too late.