Let me tell you about Karma. A couple of weeks ago I was standing outside of Rattlesnake Jake's, a locals hangout that I have always kind of considered as a home base for my beach antics, talking to a few of my smoker friends. I don't smoke (anymore) but it was nice out and it's fun to watch the tourists walk by. I looked over to the street and spied a wallet on the ground between two cars. Walked over, picked it up and, of course, looked inside. Inside was $100 Euro, $600 American and all the important passport/papers for an Italian tourist. Well, you could imagine the variety of suggestions that the local color had to offer, but me, being the nice guy who I am, decided I would do what I would want someone else to do for me. I am a firm believer that what goes around comes around, simply put, Karma. Besides, a similar situation occurred a while back and the guy gave me $50 to pay my tab when he came back to claim his wallet so I figured I would stay true to my conscience. Anyway, I studied the Italian's picture from his papers and I knew he couldn't be far. I could certainly not miss his wealthy middle aged Euro styling. Lo and behold, there he was with friends, none of whom spoke English, at a table at an outdoor cafe. I walked up, looked at him, looked at the picture and said, "Mr. Blah Blah Blah (I can't remember the weird, hard to pronounce name), I believe this is yours. You should be glad I am one of the good Americans." Whereupon he proceeded to look at me, take the wallet, give a perfunctory nod, mumble A short "thank you" and return immediately to his food and friends like I did not exist. Did not even offer to buy me a beer for all the grief I saved him in a foreign land with no ID. I am always dressed appropriately and well groomed so I don't think he would have been afraid of me. He was just rude. No big deal but apparently, as I was told upon returning to my friends, he waited for me to turn and he immediately checked the contents of his wallet. That too I understand but it did not go over well with the folks outside the bar who know my integrity. Even Rasta Man was really pissed and spouting off some unusually mean spirited Jamaican sounding banter. All I know is that I can't worry about other people's Karma. I can only worry about my own. If the guy wanted to be an ass that's his problem. I felt good.
Next day when I went for my run I started finding change on the ground. About 30 cents in all. Then, later on, I had a high tech epiphany and was able to correct a computer problem that I was prepared to spend over $75 on to repair. Cool. Then, a few hours later when I got the mail, I received a check from the phone company for $125 because they had apparently been overcharging me on a bundled package deal for the last year. Karma, I thought. That night I found out that in Italy there is a law that says if you find money and track down the person who owns it you are entitled , by law, to 1/3 of the money. As fate would have it, I received approximately 1/3 of what was in the guys wallet within 24 hours of it's return. Karma. I sure hate to think what the rest of that guys week was like!