Gratitude- Life and times.

I can always remember this incident that happend with my younger brother at the Gaumont Cinema . The event happend well over fifty years ago. The cinema is no more. Replaced by colour tv and internet.

My yonger brother and I always looked forward to a outing to the cinema with mom and dad weekends. To see the bright colours and the screen light up in an array of coĺour made it all worth while.

Usually we visted the cinema on a Saturday evening for the early evening show. After the film my younger brother found a brown leather wallet, behind his seat at the cinema.

His eager young eyes saw the wallet full of five and ten pound notes. My father insisted that my six year old brother hand the wallet and its contents into the cinema. At the time my brother was disappointed when the manager of the cinema took the wallet and our name and address in case someone offered a small reward for the find.

A month passed by and then six weeks. There was no news about the missing wallet. So my father enquired at the cinema and was told that a soldier on leave, had claimed the wallet. Well, we were all disapointed that no effort had not been made to at least write to my brother a thank you note or offer a small reward out of gratitude.

Today and over the years I have often thought about this incident. My brother had been taught honesty and good deeds pay. In this case unfortunately it did not. I cannot even remember the film on at the Gaumont at the time. In fact when my father phoned up, the manager was quite curt with my father. My parents were shocked over the incident. Thinking the worse , had the wallet been claimed.

Over the years my brother soon forgot about the incident and know one mentioned it. At six he become more interested in his collection of toy match box cars. Which over the years have become valuable.

With in sight should the wallet have been handed into the local police station. Maybe there would have been a better result who can say? Some people or more genuine than others. Maybe the soldier had debts and a family to feed. All the same to aknowledge my brothers good deed a phone call a letter would not have cost much.

Some things in life really surprise you when someone you help repays you with a gift it shows you made an impresion. A lady who liked a drink said she would remember me in her will, for helping with her husband when he had pheumonia. The years passed, everyone thought the drink woud kill her. She lived to be well into her eighties remembering me in her will.

Maybe we expected too much from the soldier and the cinema to respond.

The only thing I can say is that manners do not cost anything , if you do right by someone you feel good about your self that you have done right by someone other than your self. It is all part of being human. Although in my brothers case I saw how his small face dropped when he handed in the wallet to the cinema. I think he thought at the time he had found a special treasure to add tobhis collection of toy cars and football cards.

Better for it to have happend the way it did, I suppose than lost forever. Many would not have bothered to hand the wallet in at all. As it was dark and so easy to pocket it and walk away with the wallet and money.

Guilt, remorse, did I do right go hand in hand some respnding better than others to dealing with things. Maybe life, the wars makes people hard. Conflict of emotions or the fact there are takers and givers. People who take advantage of the kindness and good will of others.

Life goes on we meet all types of person some that are more genuine than others. With a few surprizes along the way. The lady who had a clothes stall on the market. Who trusted people to try clothes on in the toilets opposite her market stall. You never asked questions you assumed they returned the items to the stall. Or was it that people who knew her were more trusting. Gratitude can show in so many ways. Returning a favour. A deed of good will. If somone buys you a small gift or shows concern when one is feeling down .

To encourage someone to progress towards a better tomorrow. How we learn from our experiences. To make

progress and deal with others. It would have really pleased my younger brother to have had a letter from a soldier a real hero. Could the matter have been handled better? Who knows. Maybe it was just routine people leaving items in a cinema, gloves, scarves hats, a wallet full of money.

At times we can become to grateful and relie to much on good nature of others. Expecting too much from others. Who may get fed up of our company. This could be due to illness, being alone, or to pushy.

Every one pulled together during Covid and the nures became our unsung heros for the dedication and long hours they worked during the epidemic. Building up peoples spirits. Every one helped to raise money for the N. H. S. during this time bringing people together, showing that there is a caring spirit in Britain.

A another example of this being the support and respect for Princess Diana and her work for charity, after her sudden death. Known as the Peoples Princess. She was remembered all over the world for her patience, kindness understanding for those in need. The fact being that with a busy schedule she new how much a smile meant to others always finding the time to chat at all levels to people children and adults.