There are Good Samaritans everywhere.
Just this week, a Good Samaritan helped a South Florida teen who was shot and paralyzed. Another pulled a 58-year-old woman from a fire. And another donated $2,000 to a local man robbed at gunpoint in Jacksonville.
And it happened to me yesterday, too.
I went hiking with my dogs and two friends to the Makapuu Lighthouse yesterday morning. It was a nice stroll up to the lookout and I don’t remember dropping my car keys somewhere along the trail. But apparently I did. And I didn’t realize it until we were back in the parking lot and I couldn’t find them.
Good thing: my car was still there. Bad news: I had no idea where I had dropped my keys, and I would likely have to hike back up the trail — dogs in tow — and look for them. Dread was coursing through my body.
“Hey, why don’t we check around your car,” my girlfriend suggested.
I knew I hadn’t dropped my keys there — I turned on the car alarm from the trailhead — but I thought why not give it a try.
As soon as we got to the car, my friend noticed a note on the windshield. It read, simply:
Aloha, car keys are under surf rack drive door.
It appropriately was punctuated with a smily face.
Apparently, the Good Samaritan found the keys and went around the parking lot, pressing the fob until she found the right car.
I can’t tell you how relieved and happy I was to find the note, then the car keys. I mean, it was like I gained an extra vacation day or found out the lump in my breast was benign. (OK, I may be exaggerating a little, but you know what I mean.)
It’s nice to know there are still nice people in this world, people who aren’t looking for a reward or thank-you or public acknowledgement of their thoughtful actions. They’re just doing the right thing because, well, it’s the right thing to do.
So to that person who returned my keys, I can’t thank you enough. So we’ll let the Universe return the favor. Because you know it will!
Anyone else got a story about a Good Samaritan?
31 Comments
Hello Cat!
Praise the Lord!
Now it’s your turn to be a guud samaritan to someone today!
I’m working on it!
CAT: I have experienced similar situations for myself and being one to bestow help. While this should be part and parcel of our upbringing…there are so many in this world who would rather take advantage of someone’s misfortune. But I believe that there are more good people than bad.
Agreed. I would have done the same, too. And I believe, like you, there are way more good people than bad — we just hear a lot about the bad.
Good Morning,
You know with all the ugliness that is 24/7 news, isn’t something that acts of decency are rarely reported? My thought is that these acts happen more often than the nasty ones, but since many are one to one, simple and not expecting any reward or praise it isn’t broadcasted. Cat, I ask you to ask anyone you know if they have done or received random acts of kindness or just plain human decency in their life. If I was a betting man, I would lay odds that you would find the vast majority in this category.
It isn’t hard to be decent, but it should be harder to wrestle with a guilty conscience.
I think we all have the opportunity to do a random act of kindness every day; be it opening a door for someone or assisting an elderly person across the street. How many of us follow through though? Good Karma for that person who found your keys Cat.
You’re right. We really should make it a point to do something nice for others every day. Good goal!
That is a great story! I’m very proud to say my 9 year-old daughter exhibited some kindness herself yesterday. While waiting for me in the car with grandma she noticed the meter for the car next to ours was expired. As soon as I got to the car she asked me if she could put money into the meter for that person. I was sooooo proud!
WOOOOOT! That’s so awesome! I love stories like that! You know what that means? YOU’RE a great parent! 🙂
It’s all about Paying it Forward… I have to remind myself sometimes that I need to pay it forward every day… a simple smile, and friendly handshake, or a kind word can do wonders for people. I know it does for me… the rhythm of the cosmos works in unfathomable ways… that person will gain good karma, just as you put our your good karma to the world as well Ms. Cat. I’m honored and blessed to know someone like you.
NEO
I believe in that, too, that what goes around comes around. I try to always do the right thing, even when it’s harder or inconvenient.
PS: Thanks for the compliment! I’m so grateful to have loyal readers like you 🙂
Pay it forward, Cat 🙂 Together we all can make the world a better place.
Exactly right. That’s really the only way I can “reward” the person who found my keys — I have to do something nice for someone else. That’s what makes the world go ’round!
Funny how it happens a lot with cars…the first thing that came to mind was when my dad left his truck unlocked at the YMCA. This semi-homeless guy who worked there went over and locked the doors for him. But since he knew it was my dad, he went and yelled at ME to tell him to be more careful! I guess he didn’t feel right scolding a father figure. hahaha.
Hahahahaha, funny! I like how you refer to the guy as “semi-homeless.” What does that even mean????
Great story but one thought was that it would have been easy for someone else to just swipe the keys and take off with them. Maybe he should have kept them and left a mobile number? That would be a hassle but of course more sure-fire. Regardless, what a great story.
Sorry, but your idea still isn’t “more sure-fire”, since someone can still come along and claim the vehicle is theirs. There really is no “more sure-fire” way to verify the vehicle is theirs, without (probably) involving the police. Even if you have them pull the insurance and registration papers from within the vehicle, the name(s) on the documents would have to match the person claiming ownership/possession of the vehicle. Otherwise, what would you do? Would you believe their story that they borrowed the vehicle from someone?
That’s true… I did think about that. I mean, the note was on my windshield, so anyone could have read it and found my keys. I’d like to think, though, MOST people wouldn’t have stolen a car, even if the idea was tempting.
Yup, I agree. All a person can do in most cases, is simply hope things get back to the original owner. I can’t count the number of times I’ve turned in stuff I’ve found, whether at work, or anyplace else. In each case, all I could do was hope the items made it back to the owner. I figured it was either hope for the best, or conduct the kind of investigation and background checking that would make even an FBI agent say, “hey, that’s excessive, even for us….”
Hey Cat … you have an Angel watching out for you!!! …
… I think I got a Bad Samaritan story … lost my wallet a few years back, with over $300 in it … had hoped that a “good” person would find it and return it … a couple weeks go by before I get a package in the mail … it’s my wallet … license, check, credit cards, check, atm card, check … but money, gone …
… the cards were useless since I had cancelled them all … well the license was ok but I had gotten a replacement already …
… I also owed the post office for postage due … I think whoever found my wallet, took the money and put the wallet into a postal collection box …
… no Good Samaritan for me … *sigh* …
That sucks, but at least you got your wallet back… Maybe the person who found it figured you’d owe him a reward…
world needs more stories like this!
AMEN 🙂
I had a similar story with keys. I was parked downtown and foolishly left my keys IN the car. When I came out, there was a note on my windshield–someone had taken them to the nearest security point (Labor Building) and turned them in. The Sheriff took the time to go to my car and leave the note. People are so good!
You’re kidding?!?! Nice to know there are so many great people out there!
I completely understand that huge “Oh my god, my life has been completely saved” feeling.
My good Samaritan story: I stupidly left my cell phone on top of the newspaper box on Bishop St. downtown. I realized about half an hour later that I didn’t have it and checked w/ the HPU guard and the neighboring stores to see if anyone had turned it in. Of course not. I was hyperventilating and nearly in tears, trying to reset all my account passwords (I have multiple personal and work accounts tied to the phone), texting the phone to offer a reward for returning it… (Like an idiot, I’d never turned on the security locator/remote wipe feature.) While in the middle of all this, I got an email on my Gmail account — which I was in the process of trying to reset. I hadn’t locked the phone either, and the guy who found it opened up my Gmail to get my address and then emailed me to say he had it. He immediately walked all the way from the federal building halfway back to downtown to return it to me, and refused the cash I tried to give him. I hope good things follow him all his life.
THAT’S AWESOME! I wish I could meet the person who found my keys… Like you, I hope she gets good karma for that! What an awesome story!
LOL… if it had been my car they would have found what was left of it at a chop shop in Waianae.
Last time I left keys on the roof of my car — in Waikiki on a Saturday, no less — my car was still there. Which was a little disappointing. No one even wanted it!
With my luck, I’d be the guy who receives a note like that one, “…you’ll find what’s left of your car in a chop shop in Wai`anae. Aloha!!” 😛
A gentleman who found my husband’s wallet drove to our house to drop it off. My husband was so shocked (he didn’t even realize it was missing) that he didn’t get the guy’s name, but we are so thankful for the goodness of others.