@the-erik-jurado-experience
Four Hundred, Sixty Six Dollars and Fifty Cents
<p class="paragraph_style_2"><em><strong>I found a wad of cash on Saturday! </strong></em></p><p class="paragraph_style_2"><em>$466.50 to be exact.</em> </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">I was spending the day with my niece's 4 year old son and 3 year old daughter when we decided we would go out and get something for lunch, as well as take care of a couple of errands. So, first stop was to a liquor store so I could get some cash out of the ATM. I have been avoiding ATM's lately because I hate allowing banks to be rewarded for me needing access to my money, but considering I had the 2 little ones with me, I decided to go for the convenience and ease of walking in - getting cash - walking out. We walk in, and the kids immediately begin grabbing cookies - "I WANT THIS!" and candies - "I WANT CANDY!" So I am stuck being the bad guy again - "NO, we are going to go out for lunch, you don't eat cookies and candy right before lunch." Now they begin telling me, "You're mean" which I always reply, "Yes, I am." So just as quick as the time it takes me to agree with them, one kid picks up some gum ,"How about gum, unko?" while the other runs over and grabs a ring pop, "How about a ring pop?" I begin counting from 5 backwards, and they put the items down immediately and run over to where I am - I have a way with numbers! So I am pushing buttons as fast as I can while at the same time trying to corral 2 bundles of energy running around grabbing anything wrapped in shiny decorative packaging. I get out my $40 and grab their hands and we proceed to walk out of the store. We were inside no longer than 3 minutes, and as we are walking out there is now something on the floor, right in the pathway out the door, so I let go of both kids' hands and reach down to pick up a wallet that must have just fallen out, becauseI noticed two customers in the store on the way in, before I began to focus on the kids..</p><p class="paragraph_style_2"> </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">My first reaction was a strange one. "I FOUND A WALLET!" I shouted as I held it high to show everyone in the store. This store is pretty typical in my neighborhood. I live in South Los Angeles, so that means this store had a korean cashier behind bullet proof glass and black customers buying lotto, blunts, a 40 oz, and hot dog - the male customers, that is. WHAT? Stereotype? Maybe. But I would bet anyone $10,000 dollars (That Mitt Romney is such a buttnugget!) that if you went into any liquor store or convenience store in my neighborhood - or any surrounding neighborhoods - that AT LEAST 2 korean cashiers - AND the first black guy that goes in will most likely purchase either a 40 oz. bottle of malt liquor, a blunt, a lotto ticket, or an item cooked within the store. That's just how it is - I LIVE HERE AND SEE IT EVERYDAY - THAT'S FINE BY ME. There was a black guy walking out right behind me with his bag of items, and he confidently responds, "That's my girl's wallet, she musta dropped it when she went back to the car, so let me take it to her" and he had his hand out grabbing toward the wallet. Since I had the wallet, I figured I should do what I would expect someone to do to me - have them take an easy quiz by asking what her name is. I opened up the wallet and took out the I.D. and asked if his girl was a 6 foot tall dude. Without hesitation - the act was dropped immediately - "Nah man, it looks like god is smiling on you - it's your lucky day, he wants you to get yo kids something nice and enjoy." He had a huge grin and looked genuinely happy for me. I ignore the guy's statement, since I am only seconds behind finding out who owns it. When I looked at the ID, I couldn't help but notice a wad of cash. There were 2 - $100 bills and a bunch of $20's. Now that I thought about it, I recalled only about a minute earlier, I heard him explaining how he had cashed something there before, he wanted the guy to think back and let him do it again. I figured he had his ID here and the cashier STILL wouldn't cash his check for him - I really felt bad for the guy now, so I figured that he must have just left. So I grab the kids' hands once again and they are both holding Slim Jims - pieces of dried meat product soaked in chemicals - I toss the Slim Jims randomly on the shelf, re-grab the hands and rush to see if I can catch this 6 foot tall man that seemed to be having a pretty shitty day as far as I could tell. He wasn't anywhere around. So I think, that maybe he'll come back to the liquor store and ask the folks there, so maybe I'll leave them with the responsibility. I then remember buying the boy a toy at this store a year earlier. When I got home with it, I opened the package and the toy was busted. It was only about $2, so it wasn't worth going back at that moment. A couple of days later, I take it back and ask for a trade-in for one that works. I get looked up and down by the cashier as though I am pulling some scam on him, until he finally says to go ahead and get a new one, and maybe I shouldn't buy toys there any more. PLUS he was already hassling the guy about cashing his check because he really didn't want to cash it. I thought to myself as I looked into the bullet proofed cashiers, FUKC THESE GUYS - I'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS MYSELF! </p><p class="paragraph_style_2"> </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">I'll drop it off at his house - make his day! I'm sure some people are wondering why I'm making such a big deal out of something so easy to deal with, the whole thing is that it would have been easy to deal with if the guy was around, but this was beginning to turn into a mini-task that I was feeling responsible about. I am not religious, I am not holier than thou or thee or however else someone might want to categorize my desire to get the man back in possession of what is rightfully his - it's just what I would want done for me should the tables be turned. Unfortunately for this guy, I had 2 hungry kids in the car who were cranky and wanted food right then. I would never be able to get away with dropping by the address on the I.D. to drop off his wallet - IF he still lived there. Point well taken. I'll get some tacos from the taco truck, we'll go home, and while we gobble the tacos I'll google the unfortunate sob and see if there is a phone number, so I can leave a message to let him know where to pick up his wallet - he could drive over to me - why should I go out of my way. I look him up and notice a facebook page that has a person that lives in the same city that looks exactly the same - only with a different address and with no phone number listed. WHY DOES THIS GUY HAVE HIS ADDRESS LISTED BUT NO PHONE LISTED OR EMAIL??? WHO THE HELL PUTS DOWN THEIR ADDRESS AND NO PHONE NUMBER??? Now I have 2 addresses for the guy - I decide to investigate this person a little more, because time has a way of allowing opposing arguments to take root inside a person's head. </p><p class="paragraph_style_2"> </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">I start to pry - I look at his facebook wall to see what kind of posts he makes. ONLY ONE POST. AND IT WAS DIRTY! Either that or he can't spell and the girl he posted to should expect him to "arrive" all over her. But, it could just be that times have changed and girls today like being told dirty things. Plus, that still doesn't make a difference - what's his is his. I start clicking his photos to see if I can tell whether he deserves his cash back. WHAT WAS THAT??? It's HIS wallet - HIS cash, SHUT UP AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! EVEN IF HE IS A SCUMBAG THAT DOESN'T DESERVE THAT MONEY? I DO DESERVE IT!!! I DON'T THINK THIS WAY!!! Okay, what's going on here? GOD IS SMILING ON YOU - IT'S YO LUCKY DAY, HE WANTS YOU TO GET YO KIDS SOMETHING NICE AND ENJOY - HEY, I know who that came from, that's from the guy in the store! But where did those other thought just come from? I didn't tell anyone about this. Why am I thinking this way, I'm not the type of person that keeps something that is not mine. STOP thinking - START clicking!</p><p class="paragraph_style_2"> </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">First picture - tattoos all over- no shirt on. Next pic - picture of tats from a different angle - words that I can't quite see. Next pict - the same thing different angle. About 25 picture taken from arms length with no shirt on, WHAT A BUTTNUGGET!!! Why did I think that? I'm probably just trying to keep the money for myself. NO, I think this guy really is a buttnugget. Well, not an actual nugget on a butt, but a figural one - like Mitt Romney. Okay, I can't find out anything else about the guy on the internet. I'll look through the contents of his wallet. I didn't want to, but now here I am doing it anyways. FIRST, I pull out the cash and count - one, two, three, four hundred, and twenty, forty, sixty, five, $466 - plus 2 quarters. Hey some check stubs and receipts. This guy makes a nice chunk of change - PLUS he's been working a lot of overtime for time and a half - I didn't know companies pay that still - good for him! HEY, I have one of these - an Electronic Benefit Card from the state. I have been getting assistance for taking care of my 2 nieces and the little bit of money I get is gone immediately. There are a couple of receipts in here from the liquor store that state "food stamps - $520, change $480." He gets a check complete with many hours working time and a half PLUS the state gives him food stamps??? THEN, he cashes in the food stamps at the shady liquor store - THAT'S what he was talking the cashier into doing for him - NOT because he didn't accept the guy's ID, but because it was illegal... that's fraud! OH, SHUT UP! Like I've never filled out an unemployment form and claimed that I looked for work each day when there were a few days that I didn't - typical hypocrite trying to keep the money so I can get a bass. HUH? Why a bass? I have a bass. BUT I DON'T HAVE A GOOD BASS, I NEED A GOOD BASS. NO I DON'T "NEED" A BASS!</p><p class="paragraph_style_2"> </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">I noticed it was some food stamp scam where he had food stamps and cashed them in NOT FOR FOOD FOR A HUNGRY FAMILY OR ANYTHING, BUT FOR STRAIGHT UP CASH. I have been unemployed for about a year and a half and was proud to have not even considered keeping the cash, but the more I find out the more I can't help but to let these thoughts begin to take root. Here I am with hungry kids telling the kids not to talk bad out in public, especially when they go on about their "farks," and this guy is leaving x rated comments on a public site for all to see. No, farks has nothing to do with ratting out farmers (farm + nark) - TRUST ME - when I first heard the term I searched the whole inside and outside of the house for any illegal substances growing - we already had one raid over the past couple of years, I try to be on the level because I would not last one minute snuggling with a man locked in a room... I already explained in an earlier blog that I'm NOT homophobic, so don't even go there! And, from that earlier blog I expect you know the context and how to apply that last statement. HOW THE HELL DID I GET OVER HERE???? WHERE WAS I??? Don't go there - homophobia - snuggling with large men (STILL, YUCK!!!) - staying legal - raids - farming - narks - farks - the kids kept talking about their farks in the car and then they started blaming me and laughing that "unko is doing farks." I WAS NOT FARTING! That didn't stop the laughter though, so I told them, ALL RIGHT - ZIP IT!!!! and explained to them that some people wouldn't like to hear them talk about farts, and if they can't talk about anything nice then stay zipped. I didn't hear from them until I started looking for the dude. The kids passed out for a nap while I packaged the wallet, complete with I.D. card, social security card, receipts, paycheck stub, and EBT card and put it in an envelope with postage and no return address. So, YES, I mailed the wallet back to him with most of the contents in tact. So you noticed that, huh? Well, if you read this far then you are obviously wiser than most. You really are the reason that I type these up. I like a person that is well... huh? Quit wasting your time and explain what happened to the rest of the contents? SEE! I consider myself pretty smart - in a street-wise sort of way - and think I can trick you but you call me right out - OKAY!!! OKAY!!! I GET IT!!!! I didn't mail the money. But, I didn't spend it either. It is rolled up and sitting on a table in my room. I have spent the weekend weighing out the pros and cons about what to do about it and I can't even think about touching it until it is settled. I don't know why I felt I couldn't just blindly mail the cash also - I mailed the rest of the contents feeling just fine about it reaching some old residence or something. Usually, my blogs are just a way for me to release what's in my head so I can get to sleep, but this time I think I could use a little feedback - Plus I am very tired right now - so if there are incomplete thoughts, sentences or words I will fix them tomorrow or something. Anyways, what would you do?</p><p class="paragraph_style_2">• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •</p><p class="paragraph_style_2">CONTINUED... </p><p class="paragraph_style_2">• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •</p><p><strong><em>THE LATEST:</em></strong></p><p> </p><p>I got a couple of replies to the first posting of my dilema - thanks guys! That was cool of you to give your thoughts and advice. I tried not to think of my financial situation, but really, how much of my time, gas, stamps am I supposed to go through, just to get this back to him. I KNOW! THERE’D STILL BE $450 LEFT!!!! WAIT! That's not where I was taking this. Let me tell you what I found out last night. I fell asleep for a couple of hours and then woke up again because I felt that money hanging over me still. So, I made up a new email account - since our internet provider allows 10 email accounts. I always wondered why they allowed so many, but with this new dilema that has come my way, I am beginning to understand why. I made a new account so I can contact the guy and see if he is the one who lost his wallet with all of that money, and unless he acts like a jerk, I plan to return the cash to him. I made up a name and went to his Facebook page and sent him a message asking if he lost anything over the weekend. He has since been online, but ignored my question. Maybe the guy is new on there and doesn’t know all of the features on Facebook. But then again, he has over 1,000 friends! I only have 200 friends, and most of them are family - my dad’s side of the family is mexican, in case you were wondering about how that could be possible - makes sense now, huh? I know how to message with one fifth the amount of friends, hmmm... I guess I’m a pretty smart person. I did want to go by his house and knock on the door and see if he would be there, but my girlfriend laid down the rules - I can’t go there, he can’t come over to our house, and when we find out, we send him a money order so he would need an I.D. to cash it in. That totally messed up what I had planned. She thinks that he is in a gang because of all the tattos on his chest, and back, and side, and leg, and neck... she thinks he’ll kick my ass or something. I don’t get her at all. I am not worried one bit about that, I’m no pushover. I could do some damage if it came down to a brawl. Why would there be a brawl when I’m giving a guy his cash that he lost? She was pretty serious too. I woke up today and said that I give up. If he didn’t reply by the end of today, I’m finished thinking about it. I don’t think I feel guilty any more about having it either, because I really did try to unite the person with their entire contents, but there is something about making sure that it goes to the right person. If someone else uses the I.D, social security card, or EBT card, there is a chance that can be traced back to the person using it, but cash is different. I would only be comfortable if I knew it was the right person and I could give it to them and see the smile on the dude’s face. How could I not want to at least experience that gratitude after all of this? That was pretty much what I wanted from the beginning - that surprised look and huge grin to make me feel like I made someone’s day. But that’s been taken away, PLUS, I’m being ignored by Mr. Popularity, and I’m getting tired of this whole thing - how long am I supposed to babysit this money? It’s 11:48 PM, and still no reply - 12 minutes until this thing is over. Then I will think about what should be done with the money. Until then, Thanks for helping me through this!</p>
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THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS! I really do appreciate them. Anyways, I just updated this blog in case you wanted to know what I decided. Thanks again for your thoughts - very cool of you to reply to this.
In my view if it was my wallet the cash would not be as important as the IDs licaence and things like that that are very time consuming and frustrating to get back. JUST MY VIEW IF IT WAS MY WALLET. jUST THE thought that you put that much thought into it says a lot of good things about you as a person. I guess though if it was a single mother with a lot of kids to feed maybe different story about keeping the money
QUOTE: what would you do?
Well, when i take into consideration all that you are dealing with, with the kids. who you found this cat to be, and what he is really about!
I'm with Jims ae... go fill up the fridge, put a tank of gas in the car, and if you have enough left over, take the wife and kids out for a nice dinner!
Erik, i consider myself to be a good cat! if this where some grandmas welfair check then i would not even think about it! i would do whatever it took to get it back to her.. but this is not the situation! like the guy in the store said!
Looks like GOD is smiling on you!
peace,
You need to do what ever let's you sleep at night. If keeping the money does that, fine, keep the cash. If it doesn't, fine, send it back. I'm sure you will come to the right conclusion but it's your decision to make. Regardless, the guy will feel fortunate to get his wallet, with other important items in it, back.
Farrell
Thanks, Digger! I'll let Jack know you say HELLO! LMFAO!
brother you are wayyyyyyy over thinking this shit! lmfao!
enjoy your self! and if you can't! i have a couple of freaking bills i need to get cought up on! lol
peace,
LMAO!! I know!!! I think that's the only way for me not to feel guilty. I bought a bottle of Jack Daniels and some groceries! I'M OVER IT NOW! I'm gonna take my girlfriend out to see a band called Motochrist on Saturday night - then I'm pretty sure that will be the end of that. I don't know where you are from, but if you're around L.A. on Saturday Night, you can come too - my treat!
erik you are too freakin cool!
you guys go enjoy yourself! you deserve it brother!
like dude from the store said... remember that!
peace,
and i love jack! he has a tendincy to spend a lot of time in my house!
lmfao!