The transcending shadow
Karma: It is an accepted behaviour to attribute all our misfortunes to Karma, accumulated during past lives. Should this always be so?
Karma is the result of an action. As we proceed through life, we continue perform actions - actions of all kinds. Every one of these actions will produce a result. The result of an action cannot be undone. They are irreversible. One cannot "rewind the tape" and start all over again, if an action produces an unacceptable result.
So, the Karma is a trail, which follows you like a shadow; a shadow with a difference. Shadows disappear in the darkness, but not the trail of Karma. It is a sort of an invisible shadow.
A result of an action determines what actions will follow. In other words, while we continuously create a Past in terms of Karma, we also continue to create a Future based on Karma. We make our own future.
But, in reality, there isn't a tangible Past or a Present. We exist in a constantly changing boundary between the Past and the Future. The Present is this boundary.
Like Merit, Karma is also cumulative. Karma is equated to one's shadow - never leaving the perpetrator, until the full force of the Karma is exhausted. As you would read in Buddhist text, there are several forms of Karma. Karma can not only affect the person, it can also affect anyone in the person's vicinity. That is the reward of being at the wrong place among wrong company at the wrong time.
Karma is the result of an action. Strictly, Merit is also a Karma. So, one should expect parallel returns in case of Merit too.
If we follow my thoughts on Samsara, because of the ever-changing person - the non-stop rebirth process, the affectations of both Karma or Merit targets a different person. I think this sounds perfectly clear. If you commit the Karma of poking your finger in hot tea, the payback of that Karma affects you, the label, but a different person. If the cat happens to wander in at the wrong time, well...
So, to me, this concept of Karma visiting you in the same life becomes clearer and comprehendible.