Opinion

An angel in blue jeans

By John Gathright

Last year while riding on the bullet train, I had the opportunity for some spontaneous kindness. Across the aisle from me and my manager, an older, well-heeled Japanese man was snoring slightly in his seat. All of a sudden he jolted up and sprang from his seat. He had almost slept through his stop. Madly he stuffed his feet into his shoes, grabbed his jacket off the seat beside him and flew down the aisle and out the door. Just as he ran past me I saw a bank envelope fall from his coat pocket.

In the split second that it took to hit the floor, I realized that it was cash - and a lot of it, too. I jumped from my seat, grabbed it and chased the man. Normally, I would have been quicker on my feet, but I was in full military-dress kilt, jacket and bonnet. (I play the bag pipes and was off to give a speech and perform.)

One look at me in my kilt, yelling at him to stop, and he went into full flight. I must have look rather intimidating. I then yelled out to him that he had dropped a huge wad of cash. Not only did he stop, but so did everyone else in the station. I suddenly felt very self-conscious, in what would appear to be a skirt, waving an envelope stuffed with cash.

The man frantically patted his coat pockets. In a split second, fear faded to gratitude when he realized that he had lost his month's salary. I left the man bowing and exclaiming in gratitude as I sprinted back into the train.

Just a few days ago, I found myself at the other end of the stick. On the Coming-of-Age Day in Japan, I lost my wallet. The realization made me sick. I never carry cash, but that day my wallet was full. It also contained my passport and insurance card but no phone number or address to contact me.

As I panicked, my friends started saying: "Well, just forget it! The only people around us were young Japanese! Did you see them? It is as good as spent already. Read the news! Japan has changed. Young people can't even show proper manners or morals on their own Coming-of-Age Day. They won't try and find the owner of a wallet full of cash."

I answered: "Well, I chased a man down to give him back his money, so I am sure someone will be kind back!" My optimism was the brunt of their jokes until a few hours later I received a phone call from the office. A young lady had taken the time and effort to dial the number on my insurance card, which started a chain reaction of telephone calls that finally reached me.

Thirty minutes later I was bobbing bows and thanks in front of a 20-year-old Japanese girl in low-waist hip-hugging jeans and reddish hair. She would not accept the standard 10 percent finder's fee. She sheepishly said, "Last year someone returned my wallet and I know how happy you feel."

Old cliches and words of wisdom were leaping off the tongues of my family and friends as I recounted this story: "One kindness breeds another," "You can't judge a book by its cover," "Drop a little goodwill and it will come pouring back," etc.

But kindness does breed kindness and it knows no age, race, gender or fashion barriers. It is also amazing that since I got my wallet back, the low-waist hip-hugging jean-clad youth sure look a lot more mature and kind these days.

Shukan ST: Jan. 31, 2003

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