“Edwin Speaks Up” by April Stevens
Anyone with pre-travel anxiety will understand.
I was traveling late in the day with my 8 month old daughter to attend a family wedding. As I ran those frantic last minute errands, I put my clutch purse on the top of my car, secured the baby’s car seat, and drove off.
Right away, I heard the car horns honking. Still clueless, I let them go around me, not mindful that they might be pointing to the bag on my roof.
I discovered the loss when we got home. Panic. Not only did that bag have all my ID, it had hundreds of dollars in cash, and our airline tickets.
As I set about to cancel credit cards, adjust our travel plans, the call came. An older couple had found my purse, dropping it at the police station.
Whew.
I never met them, and thanked the police, who went on about “good people still in the world.” Then I counted. They had lifted $100. Maybe they figured it was their reward.
The police of course would not believe it. I knew exactly what I had there. I decided to let it go, grateful for all the personal items that I’d not need to replace.
Fast forward 10 years, different state. I was walking my dog along a wooded trail nearby when I dropped my wallet. Went back as soon as I realized it; nowhere to be found.
When I got home, there was a phone message. A pastor and his wife had walked the same trail that morning and had my wallet. I could pick it up that evening, as they were ministering to the ill, and would not be home until then.
The wallet was in tact. I brought them a fruit basket the next day. They were surprised at the gesture.
I was just so grateful…faith was restored.
vanbytheriver 
that’s awfully bold to be lifting $100
I thought so, Jim, but I was the 30 yr old frenzied mom, so I guess I was less believable to the police than the sweet older couple. Oh, well. ☺
true
That would be a nightmare! I lost my phone this morning… a lifeline here… Found it when I got home from work, lying in the plants which I hope cushioned its fall. Four hours in torrential rain haven’t helped though… no idea whether it will work when it has dried out, but at least I’ll have the contacts on the sim .
Yep…I don’t have a smart phone. I am internet-free when out and about. They can steal my flip phone if they want it. ☺ (No one does.) I think there are remedies for the wet phone…good luck !
Mine barely functions anyway… it takes calls and texts, and very occasionally allows me access to the internet, smart phone or not. But I have Stuff on there I’d hate to lose.
Wow…twice you were saved from the nightmare of replacing all that personal documentation……how excellent. The $100.00 is a shame, but you’d probably have paid alot more than that to replace all the other stuff…..
It was worth the removal of worry alone !! You’re so right.
I knew I’d be able to relate to this one by just reading the title. I have a tendency to lose wallets, keys, phones etc. It is interesting that the person took $100 – maybe they really needed it?
Maybe so. At least they didn’t mess with the credit cards or airline tickets. They didn’t leave their name with the police, though…Interesting ? ☺
I’m a big a huge stickler for putting everything where it belongs no matter what. That way I don’t lose anything. Except, of course, I did lose my wallet a few years ago and it was panic inducing and a giant pain in the ass. The worst part was I had my birth certificate in the wallet and I needed it to get our marraige license. It was nip and tuck but the certificate arrived just in time.
Wow…birth certificate would be a mess to lose. A while back, I also carried my social security card…never again. That number is linked to everything.
And…are you to be believed that you weren’t trying to stall on the marriage license ??? lol ☺
Hahahaha. Are you kidding? When my adorable and very accomplished wife so kindly agreed to marry me I sealed the deal before she came to her senses.
Yep…I was kidding. ☺ thanks for playing along, John.
😁
Well I guess if you keep it in perspective, which it sounds like your are good at doing, it could have been a lot worse! I hate losing things!
It could have been so much worse. And I might have had to forfeit the trip. My husband was in his sister’s wedding.
By the way, taking an 8 month old on a puddle-jumping transfer flight is not recommended !! Layover in Ohio. ☺
You are brave, Van! I am in Ohio, so if it happens again, I will hang out with you!
We were going from Detroit to Philadelphia to see my family, then off to Pittsburgh for the wedding…it was a 2 week adventure !!
That’s what I love about you – you see it all as an adventure! You always have such a great outlook.
Thanks so much, Kelly, for always having a sweet compliment ! I appreciate you. ❤️
You get more love with honey rather than vinegar… or however that goes…
Sounds good to me. ☺
It’s true. Kindness, Van, kindness.
Agreed, ❤️
What lovely stories. Do we say you are very lucky? And there are kind people everywhere. Not long ago a taxi man brought a purse with 50.000 cfa francs (100 US dollars) in it which some young lady had forgotten in his taxi. Good people are everywhere. I announced for six months and nobody showed up. I got a number inside and called. Someone answered hundreds of kilometers away. Finally through him we traced the university student who came and got her money. She was happy and left ten dollars for all the announcements. I think it is important to be more careful so we don’t lose things that are important.
You’re so right about being careful. That sometimes goes out the window when we are under stress, trying to remember what “not to forget” when we are about to travel. I always fall prey to that pre-travel anxiety. Thanks for reading and commenting. ☺ Van
My husband leaves his wallet on the truck bumper and drives away – all the time. Fortunately each time someone has found it and called us. I think most people are thoughtful that way 🙂
Maybe we can all relate to how much trouble it would be to replace those items. I was sure grateful…both times. ☺
I don’t have many nightmares but losing my wallet is one of them. I wake up in utter panic! In real life, it only happened once. Someone lifted my wallet from underneath a lot of little-kid stuff in the back bag of the stroller while I was showing my toddler the exhibits of big stuffed bears in the Museum of Natural History. I call that dirty pool: stealing from a mommy. Fortunately, I was poor. No credit cards, very little money. Not a rewarding heist.
Stealing from a stroller…that is dirty. I no longer carry my wallet as ID when I’m out and about, especially on a walk. I use my cell phone instead…much easier to replace. I have an older flip phone.
I think we’ve all been down that road before. I know I have. It’s not a great feeling when it’s lost but you just want to hug the person who returned it to you.
For sure. Hugs, or fresh fruit ??? Thanks, George ☺
Both..😊
Van, always a good ending to your stories. Can just visualize the anxious scenario, and can relate! Got my wallet pickpocket lifted once, and left once. The lifted one not much to lift in it, the left one, a lot to loose, and it was saved by the store keeper for me! It’s heart pounding anxiety when it happens. Even taking cell phone pics of “what’s in your wallet” may not be a good idea. What if you loose your phone! Probably something you already thought about, but maybe go for a fanny-pack or one of those cross-over chest strap-type purses? Hope it never happens to you again! Christine
I’ve learned since then, Christine. I never carry my wallet on a walk, use my older model cell phone as ID. I use those cross-over purses when I shop. If I’m touring, I like pants/jackets with zippered pockets. I’m secure. Thanks 💕
Va, thought so! After those anxious loss experiences comes high security measures. Kinda like the those styling cross-over purses…Have a great Sunday! Chryssa (Christine)
☺☺☺ You too, Christine. We are basking in a few weeks of sunshine here.
Sometimes if I’m going somewhere that I know I’ll be distracted, I’ll just put my driver’s license, a credit card and some bills into my pants pocket and leave my purse at home. So, unless I lose my pants, I should get back home with everything I had when I left.
I do that as well. I like pockets that close up…either with a zipper or velcro !! And…don’t lose those pants. ☺
Fairly bizarre that they would steal $100 and then return it to the police. Not the brightest.
Isn’t it bizarre ? I’m sure that’s why the policeman looked at me with disbelief. Oh well. If I knew who they were…I’d have given them a reward anyway. ☺ maybe not $100…
Strange that they took $100. Wonder if it bothered them a lot?
I’ll never know. I was really relieved when the other couple found the wallet and called me directly. They identified themselves, gave me their home address to pick it up. Made a big difference. ☺
What a thing to do and take $100 from somebodies purse/wallet. OK, you got the rest of the stuff back, but I can imagine it left a stale taste knowing they had done that. I wonder what they spent the money on?
I hope, like someone said above, that they truly needed it. Still…you’re right, Hugh, stale taste.
Well, yeah, thieves are thieves no matter how pretty their clothes are, Van. Without proof, though, you could not have won that police station battle. Karma paid you back 10 years later on the trail. Perhaps it visited the folks with the extra hundred bucks in their pocket way sooner than that. Nice thought that is.
I’d like to think maybe they needed the $$, so no hard feelings. But I love the Karma payback, again with a senior couple…interesting ???
They should have waited to see how much you needed the money and if you offered them a reward for giving it back, not helping themselves to your hard-earned cash. Seniors especially should have had that sense, Van, I think.