Karma ?

[vwjetboat]

so almost 2 weeks ago I found one of those inventory scanners in winn dixie and promptly turned it in to the customer service counter.. the very next day.. same winn dixie.. i find a ladies wallet a RED one .. laying on top of the tomatoes.. it was full of something as it was fat.. but.. I turned it in.. 2 days later.. I am at post office mailing one of those speedo fix things and .. i spot 40 bucks on floor.. 2 x 20's.. I thought about it.. but no.. being the good boy I am.. I turned it in.. the lady put in envelope stamped it wrote my name and number on it.. and today.. she handed it to me because nobody claimed.. so for the few seconds that I thought about keeping it..and knowing id probably loose sleep over it as my conscious would ate me up.. lol today some smuck is out 40 bucks and I have a clean conscious.. :} was it Karma ?

[anthracitedub]

Doing the right thing makes you feel good, and sometimes you get 40 bucks... good on you man!

[Q-Dog]

A good person is one who does the right thing even when noone else is looking. You done good.

But, one needs to ask, why are you hanging out in Winn Dixie so much?
_________________
Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[vwjetboat]

[heimlich]

At a university I went to I found a pile of cash in the hallway in the dorms. I took that pile to the reception desk. A significant time later I went back to ask about it and they said no one picked it up. They returned the money to me but not all of it was there.
_________________
www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
5% Off your order with coupon code: 5%OFF
Restored Distributors Available (<--Click here)

[vwjetboat]

[awreed]

Good on you. But here's another take on the altruistic lifestyle.

Ever heard the expression, "No good deed goes unpunished"? I am, by nature, a 'good' person, but the creeping feeling that my good deeds will be punished is a belief born from real world experience. I know there are others out there like me who have tried to do good, but very soon afterwards have experienced brutal and brief adversity.

An intangible concept like karma is always a popular idea right after you've helped compression start someone's car or give complicated directions. But that uplifting feeling of chest puffing accomplishment quickly fades to shades black and red after the lucky driver motors off and you realize it was merely a ruse to distract you while someone else steals your wallet and your jacket that you distractedly left in your own car when the need for assistance arose.

The older I get and the more crap that I see the more paranoid and cynical I become. Any time a seemingly random stranger stops to engage me I instantly become on alert.

Next time take that scanner home and put it in your safe. Slip that red wallet in your back pocket when no one is watching. Calmly palm those 20s when you bend down to tie your shoe. You made $40 doing the 'right' thing. The next time it might actually cost you.

[vwjetboat]

[widefivebug]

I commend you for doing good. It not only is the right thing to do but it makes you feel good when you do. However, one must practice a lot of common sense and scrutiny these days as there are too many out there just watching for the chance to help themselves to whats not theirs. Theres to many that live off others misfortune.

[vwjetboat]

[Zundfolge1432]

Two examples of karma one good other bad, the good first

I work Monday through Friday, we start early 6am to be exact. This necessitates that I wake up around 430am so I'm always traveling before sunrise. Today I'm cruising about 70 plus and see what looks like a overturned car off to the side with a tail light blinking or so I thought. Should I just keep going or should I go back and check? I took next exit and doubled back.

Upon closer examination it's a red reflector bent down catching glare from headlights and appears to blink. No over turned car, nobody hurt, I took a drink off my coffee and continued on relieved.

Bad karma.....

Several years ago I'm at a gas station putting gas in my vehicle and also filling a small can for the lawnmower. Somehow my attention was divided and I filled the can first then the car. I drove off leaving the can but before I got even 1/2 mile away remembered and made a U turn. I was gone less than five minutes and some cheap thieving bastard stole the two gallon can and was gone like a fart in the wind.

[Zundfolge1432]

More bad karma but not on me.

Again I'm driving early AM to work I'm at a crossroads turning right and road goes from two lane to four. I turn right a car behind me going faster pulls out to go around and goes all the way over into the oncoming lanes. I continued driving and this car matched my speed but stayed in the wrong lane.

I slowed and the other car did too. We are coming to some hills and I speed up enough to top the hill first I see a car coming in the other lane and thought " there's nothing I can do to stop what's about to happen" I went back and sure as shit there's been a head on collision. The crazy car driving on wrong side was a Mid size Toyota the poor bastard minding his own business is driving a full size American truck.

Air bags deployed the guy is sitting upright in the truck and the woman driving the Toyota is crawling out. I have no training in first aid and I've got no cell phone plus there's nobody in sight. Nearest phone is convenience store about two miles away so I double timed it there and called cops. I was almost late to work and thought I'd done as much as I could.

About a month later by chance I'm reading the paper and see a story about the accident and that the man driving the truck has died from his injuries. I called cops again this time they want to see me in person. I gave a statement which eventually required I go to court for the preliminary hearing as only witness to this fatal accident. Her attorney tried to pick holes in my story but because of what I said this piece of shit that caused the wreck went to prison. Turns they had a criminal record long as your arm and were simply driving around whacked out on pills and killed the man delivering newspapers. The DA was only too happy to let them plea bargain to lesser charge and they did less than 5 years for killing a man with two small children. Yes I saw the family in court and the widow said thanks for taking the time to speak for her dead husband. Been years since this happened but it's something I'll carry from now on.

[iowegian]

[chickengeorge]

I don't believe in a whole lot of shit, but I think doing shitty stuff poisons our own being. I don't think that a force outside of our conscious (Karma) punishes us for our negative actions, but more like your own brain sabotages you when we don't do the right thing. I think it even goes beyond feeling bad. Like, if you were to have kept that $40, every time you went in there, you'd feel nervous and self conscious and eventually, you'd "accidentally" drop your wallet or forget to stamp an important letter or something.

[79SuperVert]

I was friends with a homeless guy from the neighborhood for about 15 years. Once a week I'd find him, chat a bit, and give him some cash. My family and friends said I was being not only stupid, but taking unnecessary risks. And it's true, I'm a lousy judge of character. But this guy was always clean, always busy, never high, never drunk, just had some bad breaks and was dealing with it the best way he could.

About three years ago he got pretty sick. He was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes. I kept on seeing him once a week, bringing him newspapers and candy and some cash. I helped him get his first ever Social Security card. I helped him get back some cash one hospital kept and wouldn't give back to him when they discharged him. He would ask me for advice about things. I got him a Bible, a notebook, a PO box number.

Finally a couple of weeks ago, he died. He had made me his health care proxy, and had put me down as his emergency contact. I asked a local funeral home to make the arrangements. Medicaid paid for the funeral. An obituary announcement went into the paper two days before the funeral. Surprisingly, about ten family members showed up.

Tonight I spoke to his sister in Alabama. I'm sending her his notebooks and the Bible. She couldn't thank me enough.

To me, Karma is all about paying it forward. I survived 9/11. Showing this kindness to a man I did not know was the least I could do to pay it forward.
_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[EverettB]

[Zundfolge1432]

[chickengeorge]

[elizer]

[djkeev]