Everything I have to identify me was lost in a matter of minutes because of my stupidity and carelessness. But in the end I learned a valuable lesson and gained some wonderful new acquaintances.
OK...here's what happened....
My daughter and I were returning from a shopping trip when I decided to stop off at a gas station to gas up. Instead of walking about 10 feet inside the store to pay cash, I decided to be lazy and just put it on a credit card. I took my wallet out of the car along with my card, slid the card into the "pay here" slot and proceeded to pump. While I was pumping the gas, I laid my gas and credit card on top of the hood of the car.
I guess I don't have to tell you what happened next---I got back in my car and drove off with my wallet still on top of the car! I didn't actually think about it until I received a call from a former colleague AT WTVD-TV telling me someone had found my wallet lying on the ground in the parking lot of the gas station. Apparently the couple who found it went to great lengths to track me down because I later learned they even called Blockbuster (based on the phone message I received) to see if they could locate me.
After getting their address, I drove to their home (in another city) to retrieve my belongings. I met Frank and Melissa Jordan---a wonderful young couple who seemed ever so eager to return my wallet. When I walked into their home I sensed a wonderful "spirit" there. Their home seemed to be filled with love and peace--it was a blessed place to be. Frank told me he discovered the wallet and immediately he and his wife tried to find some piece of information that would help him locate me. He said he knew it was the right thing to do and he hoped that if the same thing ever happened to him, someone would be just as kind.
That brings me to this point: I thank God for the Franks and Melissas of the world. They are the unsung heroes---those who go about their daily lives trying to do the right thing. They are the people who aren't looking for praise for doing an act of kindness. I dread to think what the consequences might've been had someone else found my wallet.
As the year 2007 starts to take off, let us be like Frank & Melissa---have a caring and kind-hearted spirit and strive everyday to do the right thing. Don't let a day go by without making someone smile---even a stranger--because let me tell you, the kindness you show towards others will make you abundantly blessed. Oh and one more thing--should you ever do the same STUPID thing I did, I hope Frank & Melissa will be somewhere nearby.
