Earlier this month I discovered I couldn’t find my wallet. I had it Monday afternoon when purchasing some groceries at Paddington Central, but must have lost it between there, our practice or on the way home.
After conducting a thorough search I resolved it was lost and cancelled the credit card it contained. I called Woollies and remembering my wallet contained my university staff card, called uni Security to enquire if anyone had handed it in. The phone attendants on both occasions were very helpful but came back with a negative result. I resolved that I probably would not see the wallet and its contents again. What would you have done if you had found it?
On Friday last week I received an email from the university – my wallet had been handed in and could be collected at the cashiers. Monday is my RDO from the practice and so I rode into town with my seven year old son and collected it from the cashier. When I opened it, $125, two gift cards, my Go Card together with my Uni ID were there. A kind person had taken the trouble to take my wallet together with its contents to the university so that it might be returned to me. Unfortunately, the Good Samaritan didn’t leave a name or contact details so I have not been able to thank the person. I took the time to explain to my son what had happened so he could learn by their example.
On reflection, the kind act is nothing other than what I would have done should I have found a wallet in similar circumstance, but in an age where we are confronted in our news bulletins with acts of violence, fraud and ill will, it is easy to lose faith in the goodness of others. Yet on the five year anniversary of the Brisbane floods, a time when so many people were so very generous with their time and resources to help us clean up and get our business back up and running, I am again reminded that our community is rich with people who will make an effort to help out a fellow citizen. To all of you I say thank you.
To that kind person who put themselves out to return my wallet – thank you – and I will try to be more responsible in the future.
Dr Sean Crookes.