Chicago is a big city, and I think sometimes we get almost immune to the world around us. Every now and then, though, something happens that is delightfully surprising.
Last weekend, we ran errands…a trip to Target, a run to Sams…basically there was a lot to carry up to my apartment. I got out of my car, set my wallet and phone on the roof and carried in the first load. Then we came down and got the second load, closed the hatch and settled in for Sunday chores.
Fast forward a few hours, and I can’t find my phone. We started looking through the apartment…no luck. I was beginning to get nervous. We then went down to look in the car…and low and behold, there is a note taped on my window.
Jake had my “personal items” and give him a call to get them back.
That’s right, folks. In the middle of one of the busiest neighborhoods in Chicago—a mere three blocks from Wrigley Field—Jake sees my wallet and phone sitting on my car, and instead of just walking by or taking them, he picks them up and leaves me a note.
We called, and he gave us an address around the corner. I walked over to get my stuff, and it was all there. And to take it a step further, Jake said he called 311 (non-emergency police line) to find out what to do, and they told him to mail it to me. So glad he didn’t do that…the address isn’t updated on my license!
I like to think of this as karma. Three years ago, I found a kid’s wallet on the train. He was visiting from California. He had nothing in his wallet that I could use to contact him directly, but he had a AAA card. I called them, and they called him, and he called me. And he was reunited with his wallet.
Perhaps it’s a little sad that in this day, we celebrate the fact that someone did the right thing, but this girl is certainly happy that Jake’s mama raised him right.
Anywho…morale of the story, y’all…what goes around comes around, so don’t be a jerk!