Not everything is meant to be free. Many people have a hard time grasping that reality.

People have been looking for a deal since time began. The internet has taken the free concept even further. People want their news, music, books, movies and most everything for free that can be delivered digitally. Why don’t people respect what it took to create those things? They seem to begrudge artists and those associated with the production from making a living. They are stealing, though, that isn’t likely what they’d call it.

I hate to admit I am guilty of watching a pirated version of Academy Award-nominated “1917.” A restaurant in Todos Santos shows first run movies every week. On Jan. 21 this World War I film was shown after having been released in Mexico four days earlier. This wasn’t a copy; the quality was too good. Someone at the restaurant must have connections to someone in the film industry to continually do this.

According to TorrentFreak, “1917” was the second most downloaded movie for the week of Jan. 20, with “Terminator: Dark Fate” being No. 1.

The Todos Santos restaurant doesn’t release that week’s title until a couple days before. Presumably because it doesn’t know what will be bootlegged.

Admission is free. The restaurant is hoping to increase food and beverage sales. The public, mostly gringos, benefits by seeing a first run movie in English. (Cabo San Lucas, an hour away, has movie theaters so it’s possible to see movies the legitimate way.)

I knew I shouldn’t have been there. I told myself I wanted to see the “crime scene” in person. I don’t have an excuse for not walking out. I know I won’t be going back.

Pay for what you read, watch and hear; and don’t go to establishments that help cheat the system.