Good Samaritan Returns $10,000 Found in Box of Crackers

Want to end 2008 with some good news? In the midst of bad news, it’s great to hear that some senior citizen has found honesty and kindness from a stranger when she needed it.

The stranger, Debra Rogoff could have had a lot more money for Christmas shopping than she likely expected. But because of Rogoff’s honesty, the senior recovered her life savings of $10,000. Rogoff of California found that $10,000 in a box of crackers. Knowing the money wasn’t hers, Rogoff didn’t hesitate; she knew what to do.. She returned the box to the grocery store where she had purchased the crackers. The police in this situation were concerned that the finding of $10,000 may have been a drug drop. After inquiries with the store were made, it was found that the money had been placed by an elderly woman into the box because she no longer trusts banks. She had mistakenly returned the box to Whole Foods and returned later very upset that she had done that, but by that time the crackers had been sold. This honesty, reported on Yahoo early this morning underlines the goodness of people that is a reminder for all of us in the midst of all the scandals that seem to come from everywhere.. I remember a lost purse not long ago with money from a check just cashed still in it. I had left it on a rack in a retail store while talking to the manager about a news item I was investigating for a local story for a community newspaper. It was another customer who chased me down the street and returned it. This occurred in a in a poor community, and I admit thinking that the purse would not be found. But it was, to my delight, both for the recovery of the purse and learning of a stranger’s honesty in returning it. But that wasn’t my only occasion of discovering how good people can be. Nearly 20 years ago, while visiting a town called Lafayette, Louisiana, my husband and I stopped to have dinner in a chain store restaurant in a major shopping complex. We had a bunch of large bills from the bank because we were purchasing rental property. I accidentally gave a one thousand dollar bill as payment for a meal costing less than $20. The waitress in this instance had collected the money. My husband and I left the restaurant, and later on I discovered that I had $1000 less than I expected to have in my bag at the time. Realizing we hadn’t stopped to purchase anything since leaving the restaurant, I realized what I had done. We returned to the restaurant to find that the change from the $1000 had been placed in a white envelope that was waiting for us at the front of the restaurant. Needless to say, we left the waitress a healthy tip. Among some inspirational stories about honesty is that of Reuben Gonzales. While playing in a tournament against a major professional in the racquetball world in the 90’s, the referee declared that Gonzales had made a “kill shot” and had therefore scored. Gonzales, however, told the referee that his shot had first hit the floor before skipping onto the wall. This admission may have cost him the game, as his opponent went on to win a defining tournament that would have allowed Gonzales to enter the pros. When asked why he did it, Gonzales responded, "It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity." There are good people everywhere as evidenced by these stories and something to remember at the close of the year as folks get ready to face the problems expected in 2009.