Essay Karma jackpot By Samantha Loong	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
よい行ないは報われたけど 何か買い物をしておつりを多くもらったとしたら、あなたはどんな行動を取りますか？幸運に感謝してそのままお財布にしまい込みますか？それとも正直に申告しますか？—こんなとき、筆者は神様に試されているような気持ちになるようですね。

Do you ever get the feeling that some higher being is testing you? In the past month, I've had that feeling not once, but twice.

The first time was when I returned a pair of gloves I recently bought. They were a little too big, so I filled in the appropriate forms, popped the gloves in a bag and sent them back.

I checked my account the following week and to my surprise, I saw that not only havd I been refunded for the gloves, but the clothing company had also refunded me for some other items I hadn't returned. They had in essence, given me my entire order for free.

I ummed and aahed over what to do, but decided to let them know of their mistake. After all, honesty is usually the best policy. And I felt that if I was dishonest, it would come back to haunt me.

Then came the second incident. More recently, I went to withdraw money from an ATM and as I pulled my money away from the dispensing slot, I noticed that I had been given an extra pound 10. "JACKPOT!" was my first thought and I happily pocketed the extra note. I was either being thanked for my earlier honesty, or being tested further.

I discussed with my colleagues what I should do with my pound 10 of good fortune. Some suggested I keep the money or give it to charity and told me I was foolish to even consider returning it to the bank - "Banks are evil and have enough money anyway," said one. Others suggested I spend it on snacks for everyone at work.

Had the money just been lying on the ground, I probably would have kept it and not bothered thinking about what moral obligations go with finding money. If it was an envelope of millions of yen being thrown through my window as some lucky individuals have experienced in Japan, I would at least have the option of spreading the money around.

In New Zealand, there was a case where a bank accidentally transferred millions of dollars into the account of a young couple. Instead of notifying the bank of their mistake, they took the money and fled the country. Not the smartest thing to do, but they did it - and eventually got caught.

I haven't decided what to do with the pound 10 yet. A part of me - a very small and silly part - hopes that returning it to the bank will result in a pound 50 reward. Unless you entered a lottery, deciding what to do with money that lands in your lap is always a tricky thing. pound 10 might not seem like a lot, but when it comes to karma, I believe that honesty in small doses makes a big difference.

Shukan ST: February 4, 2011

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