The Universe Smiled

Every so often the Universe kicks it up a notch and lets you know it loves you.

Friday was such a day.

I was out for an afternoon walk in the new housing development about a block over from my house. Three years ago it was a horse pasture. Now it’s well on its way to fulfilling the commitment of 60 residential units, the bulk of which are duplexes.

I thought I’d have a look. I wandered through the newest of its streets, then cut through an alley into the older section. I decided to turn up the alley as I could see an opening in a fence that offered a shortcut of my proposed route.

I’d decided to go see if the Taber corn guy was set up for sales. (Taber is an area in southern Alberta famed for its toothsome corn. It’s picked overnight and trucked to various parts of the province for sale the next day.)

As I walked along enjoying the afternoon sunshine I saw a crisp, shiny, smartly folded, hardly used $10 bill on the gravel.
It was on public property so I pocketed it.

I continued on my walk and found the corn guy was in so I went over. I had money now.
A half-dozen went for $4. Before I handed the money over I said I’d found the bill and he should check it over to make sure it was okay. It looked real to me, but I’m suspicious of found money.

He said it was okay and wasn’t I going to buy a lottery ticket with it?
“No. I thought I’d buy some corn.”
He laughed and said he thought I was getting a better deal.

So he took the $10 and gave me back a loonie (nickname of our dollar coin as it has a loon on one side) and was peeling off a $5 bill for me when he stopped. He looked at me and said, “I’m gonna make your day.”

He took back the coin, gave me my $10, and then gave me the corn for free.

It was thoughtful, kind, generous, and completely unexpected. And he was right. It did make my day.