So let me get this out of the way first. I admit that I am a fool for doing this in the first place but there are probably few us us that have not had a similar type of thing happen to them. I was traveling to work one day on the New Haven Metro North train. The train arrived in Stamford, my stop, and I foolishly got up and got off the train without my spiral bound notepad in which I keep various notes and stuffed paperwork. Nothing too mission critical, ( no government secrets, or hospital secrets for that matter) just stuff I keep out of convenience and for the recollection of various meetings and phone conversations. But the point of the matter is that it is crap that is practically worthless to most anyone else in the world.
Back to the story, I immediately file a lost item report with Metro North (a process that I am ashamed to say that is becoming more and more familiar as the years go by) and follow up on the claim a few days later to no avail.
Now, I know that these are hard times and all and maybe I undervalue the worth of a half-filled notepad but gimme-a-break, is it that difficult to align ones moral compass and turn it in to the lost and found, or better still leave this poor man's stuff alone and allow the conductors to do their job and return it? That would be just... well... wonderful.
I know that none of you reading this would ever commit such a societal blunder but to all of you out there, from a notepad broken man... In the words of Paul McCartney, "Let it Be"
From five feet,
Charles
PS. If you have a lost 'n found story to share, please feel free to post a comment.
I found an ad at the laundromat when I was living in Philadelphia a few years back. It was an ad searching - with a huge reward - for a lost/stolen thumb drive that contained the unlucky grad student's DISSERTATION DATA. Talk about stomach turning event. Ever since then, I have a text file on my thumb drive that's titled "PLEASE READ ME IF FOUND.txt" with my contact info and a reward on it. (And I also back up anything I store on it.)
ReplyDeleteMy brother lost his wallet in a Boston parking lot last year, and the guy called him up to return it. Ryota went to give the guy some money (it was all still there), and the guy says, "no, I saw your school ID, you're a grad student, you don't have money to give away." Ouch, but true. There is some decency left out there Charles, don't give up hope! May your notebook find its way back to you...
xo
asako