It Came Around

I just returned from one of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve experienced in recent memory—I went to England to spend time with my oldest friend and her oh-so-sweet baby.  For my return trip I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, so I indulged in one last round of British food.  Since I needed to reduce my supply of Pounds Sterling, I paid in cash.  I found a sunny spot to sit and tucked into my breakfast. 

Once I’d finished, I straightened up my purse and wallet and discovered that, unfortunately, I had £5 less than I should have.  I thought back over my morning: paying the taxi driver and getting change, purchasing my food—and surmised that I had given the man at the food counter £11.70, not £6.70 as I had intended.  In turn, he gave me change as though I had paid him £6.70.  I went over every possibility in my head and realized that was the only plausible scenario.  

At this point it had been at least 15 minutes since I’d made my purchase.  I turned to look at the checkout area and saw that there was a long line.  I checked the line every minute or so, and it never seemed to get any shorter.  I looked at my watch.  In a few minutes I should head to the gate area.  Was it worth it to even ask the question?  I decided to give it my best.  I found a break in the line and jumped in.

Me: I’m sorry, I’m sure it’s too late to do anything about it, but I believe I gave you £10 instead of £5

Checkout Dude: You know, I just found a £10 note in the £5 slot. I wondered what happened.
Me: I meant to give you £5. I’m so terribly sorry.
Checkout Dude: So, how much do I owe you?
Me: £5

And with that, he handed over £5.

I’ve always been a big believer in karma.  It’s one of the main reasons I often try to do the right thing—I simply don’t want to deal with payback down the road.   You might recall that I had a similar experience in November of 2008.  So, if you’ve ever wondered how long it takes the universe to return $10 (or £5), it looks like the answer is just about three years.