karma points

i just scored big (HUGE!) karmic points by returning a wallet to its rightful and very relieved owner.

yesterday, i went for my usual run in rock creek park and while i was stretching by the various exercise stations, on one of the signs posts, i noticed a black wallet with a very awesome bike screen print on the front. wondering if it was left there intentionally by the only other person in the vicinity--at the time he was swinging on the still rings. what a misleading name: still rings!--i let it be. but when the man ran by without so much as a glance at the wallet, i knew that it was up to me to do the right thing.

it wasn't as easy as i thought it would be track the owner! he had a very common name (matthew bailey) and my facebook search posted nothing. my linkedin search was also a bust and even though i had what i thought was his current address on his voter registration card, i came up blank in finding a contact number. so, i tried the next best thing. i called his dad. in washington state. from his driver's license, i was able to find a home phone number using his parent's address and once his dad realized that i wasn't part of the mafia or trying to scam him, i was given mr. bailey's cell phone number, in washington dc.

the story ends well. he met me in dupont and i happily returned his wallet. some high fives were also exchanged and i felt pleased doing my good samaritan and sleuthing act of the day.