The Day I Learned I was a Hidden Winner

The year was "98" and I was about to graduate from high school. I was on my way to make my mark on the world, I was going to make a difference! At the time, I never thought, in my current position in life, that I could chance someone's life. Until, that is, the day I learned I was a "Hidden Winer".

I was working in the Seafood department & walking out the the cold case to refill our self-serve section. As I walked out I noticed something on the freshly waxed tile floor. It was a folded up crisp $100.00 bill. I immediately picked it up and put it in my pocked. I thought to myself "BEERS with the guys!". Then almost as soon as I thought "BEERS", a thought came into my head that what I was doing was not right.

I called up my boss and told him what had happened. He said to me "WOW, that's really cool of you, D". I felt good. I did the right thing and my boss patted my on my back. I thought it was all over then. I was wrong. Moments later a young girl came back to the Seafood department hysterical & crying. She asked me " are you guy who turned in the money? ". I said, yes! She said, " Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my family and I. That $100.00 was to fed us for the next two weeks. Thank you!"

Later that night I had plans to go out to dinner with my school counselors, they invited me a few weeks back. Truth be told, I had no idea what the dinner was truly about. After we ate we had a ceremony & I was invited up on stage. I was given an award for being a "Hidden Winner" in my community and a check for $100.00. Wow, I was floored! I felt like a million bucks and I did not have to do much other than the right thing.

Would I have changed the life's of the girl and her family if I had kept the money? absolutely!
Would the award mean anything different if I would have kept the $100.00? Maybe.
Could of the $100.00 check given along with the award mean something different? Maybe.

All the "what if's" don't matter because I know the power I gained that day. By having the gift of those experiences & seeing directly the difference we can make in someone's life no matter how big or small the action, my life was never the same after that day. #gooddeedFTW