Today's topic Doing the right thing.  The post was going to be about technology, but I had an interesting experience that I am inspired by so, on to doing the right thing. 

There are so many people in this world who just do what is right and let the consequence follow.  I am surrounded by so many people who choose to do what is right and good.  I am very grateful to see such fine examples.

The incident that prompted this post happened today.  I was going to the ATM and as I drove up I noticed a man holding up a ATM card and walking toward the car that had just driven off.   It turned out the man was someone I knew.  Since it was taking a while to get the other drivers attention he said to me, slightly put out, "I had hernia surgery this week, I don't have time for this."  The other driver finally noticed and the card was returned.  I heard him teasingly say, " I could have robbed you blind."  As I watched him gingerly get back into his car I realized that it can be literally painful and inconvenient to do the right thing. 

So knowing this why do so many people still choose to be honest in their dealings, be kind to others, sacrifice their time, talents and money?  I have a theory that it is innate for us to want to help others. 
I look at children and how excited they are to be good helpers.  I think we have to be taught to take advantage, steal, lie and hate. And usually we are taught this by example.  We can also be taught to do the right thing by example, to strengthen the tendencies we have as children to help and not hinder.

When I was young, maybe five or six, I took a tiny teacup home from a store.  I was fascinated by how small and yet perfect all the pieces were.  I had asked my mom to buy me the tea set.  When she told me no I was sad.  So, I took one teacup and held it in my hand all the way home.  Almost as soon as we walked in the house my mother noticed something was off and confronted me.  I think she may have spanked me.  I don't remember that part.  What I do remember is my mom taking me back to the store to return the teacup and apologize to the manager.  I was so scared to have to confess what I had done.  The manager was kind and understanding.  To this day I still love to look at tiny little tea sets and I have only good thoughts associated with them. 

What a great thing my mom did for me!  She didn't put the tiny teacup aside or throw it away, forget about it or just give me a spanking or talking to. She took me right back to the scene of the crime to face the music.  All this for a teacup that couldn't have been worth ten cents.  I don't claim to do the right thing as often as I should but I had a great pattern to follow so any missteps are my own.

I don't know how I got so lucky but I seem to be surrounded by people doing the right thing.  I see so many sacrifices by parents, co-workers, friends and even strangers.  On a daily basis I see someone choose to do the right thing not knowing if anyone one is watching.  They just do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.  When I have praised friends for their kind deeds so often they say "I didn't have any other choice."  Sure they did.  They could have chosen what may have been less painful or more convenient.  But, instead they chose to do the right thing because it is ingrained into their nature. 

My hope is that we can all be a little more aware of doing the right thing.  Let's take care of each other, watch each others backs and make this world a little bit easier to navigate.