Wolves

One day on my daily walk, I spot a folded dollar bill on the grass near the sidewalk in front of the post office. I see two zeros peeking out from the corner of the bill. Hot Dog, a hundred dollar bill, I think and swiftly seize and stuff it into my pocket. I hurriedly gaze around to see if TV host, John Quinones and his “What Would You Do” crew lurk behind trees. I see no one.

            Immediately I think of the story about two wolves. An old Indian Chief tells his young grandson…”You have two wolves in mortal conflict living inside you. One wolf is loving and kind and the other is mean and resentful. They’re in constant battle.”

            “Which one wins?” the boy asked.

            The sage old man answered, “The one you feed.”

            I decide to try and find the rightful owner of the dropped bill. I amble back and forth for a few minutes watching for someone who searches the ground as if looking for a lost item. Then I think Who ever lost it may not realize it until much later. I can’t stay here all day.

            I dismiss the idea of going to the police or into the post office to ask if anyone reported a lost hundred dollar bill. The wrong person may claim it.  I continue home still wondering how to find the rightful owner.

Then I decide. I’ll go into the post office and give them my phone number in case someone lost “something of value,” I don’t have to disclose the nature of that something. I’ll wait until the seeker calls and I’ll ask him/her what he/she lost. I also resolve that if no one calls, I’ll share the money with charity.

            With my mind more at ease, I finally take the bill from my pocket and unfold it.  As I do, another zero appears. Could it be a thousand dollar bill?  Then more zeros, six total. Now I know the U.S. Government does not print million dollar bills; even if they did, who would carry such a thing in their pocket?  The bill looks so real, I examine it more closely to make sure it’s a fraud.

I laugh out loud when I realize I fell for a hoax but my disappointment dissipates with the knowledge that I fed the good wolf.