When I was 12, I was walking home from school one day when I spotted a wallet in front of a parked car. I picked it up, and you could tell it was heavy w/cash and credit cards.
I didn't know what to do at first? But my brain finally started to work, and I opened it to look for an I.D. Turned out the owner lived right in front of where I was standing.
Now my confession. I was staying w/my older sister and niece at the time, and we were a month behind in the rent, plus basically living on mac and cheese. I went into the hallway and counted the money in the wallet: $400 dollars. A lot of money back in my youth (our rent was $150 per month, to give you some idea).
Yes, I thought about keeping the money (and chucking the wallet back in front of the car where I'd first found it). But I thought maybe if I was honest and returned it to the owner, he might be grateful and give me a small reward? Hell, even $10 bucks would have been much appreciated!
Long story short, not only did I not get any kind of reward, but the crazy dude accused me of being a thief! He ordered me to get the hell away from his apt. or he was gonna call the cops ASAP. Speechless is not the word. I got the hell out of there, and made a solemn promise to keep the next wallet I was lucky enough to find on the street. Especially when I had family I cared about that were hungry and about to be evicted from their homes.
The world can be a brutal and coarse place for the honest and poor.
P.S. I never found another wallet...
I didn't know what to do at first? But my brain finally started to work, and I opened it to look for an I.D. Turned out the owner lived right in front of where I was standing.
Now my confession. I was staying w/my older sister and niece at the time, and we were a month behind in the rent, plus basically living on mac and cheese. I went into the hallway and counted the money in the wallet: $400 dollars. A lot of money back in my youth (our rent was $150 per month, to give you some idea).
Yes, I thought about keeping the money (and chucking the wallet back in front of the car where I'd first found it). But I thought maybe if I was honest and returned it to the owner, he might be grateful and give me a small reward? Hell, even $10 bucks would have been much appreciated!
Long story short, not only did I not get any kind of reward, but the crazy dude accused me of being a thief! He ordered me to get the hell away from his apt. or he was gonna call the cops ASAP. Speechless is not the word. I got the hell out of there, and made a solemn promise to keep the next wallet I was lucky enough to find on the street. Especially when I had family I cared about that were hungry and about to be evicted from their homes.
The world can be a brutal and coarse place for the honest and poor.
P.S. I never found another wallet...
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