Gilded Gullibility

Durban, South Africa.  July, 2012

I saw this note in Durban at the University of KwaZulu Natal!! And could not ignore it, as I smiled a knowing smile.  The note was written with a hope, a belief in humanity.  especially as you read the last hand written sentence---it says

'I know you know its real gold'

And I still believe that if you find it, you will return.

I hope the owner got the gold coin back.

It reminded me of the time when I lost a handmade tie-dye shawl that I lost in Clarion.  The shawl is beautiful, but not very expensive.  Although it was high on terms of emotion and sentimentality.  I had bought it with my first ever salary, as mathematics teacher for sixth grade.

A friend of mine had made a very colorful note of request that stated, "I AM COLD!!' Please help me find a shawl that kept me warm for a very long time. 

I did find it.  I knocked at several doors on the houses that I walked past on my to work.  The young woman was kind and returned it to me.

Note that when we try to locate things that we have lost, we do it with the faith that someone out there cares and will not claim fake ownership of our goods.

I often see gloves and scarves kept aside on piles of snow that have turned to ice.  Simply because people know that someone will come back for them.  The scarves and gloves stay on the snow for days, turn to ice themselves before the owners pick them up.  I have been on both sides of this situation.

So, I had to honor the simplicity of note by creating a post around it.

'I know you know its real gold' and I still believe that you will be kind enough to return it!!

I hope that the note writer's faith was turned into belief!!