A true feel good story

I like feel good stories. This one was in the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 in their column entitled “The Skinny” which are short stories from around the world. I thought that you would like it.

This story does enforce my basic belief which is: All people are basically good and given a chance to respond with compassion will.

There were a lot of lessons for the little boy who lost a big wallet in Poquoson, Va.

First, Charlie, last name unknown, went to 7-Eleven to get a Slurpee. So far, that’s fine. Next, he put his wallet down next to the Slurpee machine. Even the manager of the store said that was a bad idea. “One of the probably worse places to lay something like that is near the Slurpee fountain,” Marvin Ward told the Daily Press of Newport News, explaining that it’s a high-traffic area in summer.

So Charlie forgot it and someone took it. Which brings us to his next mistake. He had more than $300 in cash and gift cards in it. It’s dangerous to go into a bank with that kind of roll.

Undeterred, Charlie posted a note on the store’s door, explaining the situation, ending with the line, “I hope whoever has it needed it more than me.”

And the final lesson is, passive-aggression works. The wallet and all its contents were returned.