Kindness Of Strangers Boosts Faith In Humanity

Each day the news runs heavy with stories of crime, disaster and tragedy. Today, I’d like to share a happy tale.

It begins on a recent morning when I lost my wallet while on my way to work. You may wonder how losing a wallet could inspire a happy tale. Bear with me.

I retraced my steps, arriving back home emptyhanded. I felt a little uncomfortable being without a driver’s license, and I certainly didn’t relish the inconvenience involved in replacing it. And I was deeply troubled by the thought that any stranger could pick up my wallet and have access to bank and credit cards and other bits of personal information that I carried about with me.

The loss of the $17 cash I had was minor compared to the damage that could be done. I commenced the process of notifying the bank and creditors that I had lost my cards.

Shortly after I finished my phone calls, my phone rang. It’s a gentleman who, it turns out, found a wallet, and the ID inside it led him to me. We inventoried the contents over the phone. Most everything was still inside the wallet, including the cash. Missing were my driver’s license and a couple of credit cards.

A short while later, another phone call - another good Samaritan who had found a couple of credit cards bearing my name.

I couldn’t believe my good fortune. Two different people took the time and trouble to help a stranger. And they went far above and beyond the call.

The finders delivered the items to my home. I would happily have met them at a place convenient to them to retrieve my lost items.

And the fellow who located the wallet went back by the scene on his way to my home and located my drivers license. They were both offered a reward for their kindness. But these gentlemen would accept only sincere thanks.

Spokane, your small-town values are not forgotten. Any town that people like these call home is a fine town for you and for me.

What those gentlemen did was worth more than the cash in my wallet, and more than the spared hassle of replacing ID. Their kindness has shored up my eroding faith in humanity. Losing my wallet made my day.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.