"Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers"

About 6 months ago I was walking through Target and saw a crumpled up wad of money on the floor. I picked it up and it was only about $7. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, when I heard a girl hysterically crying a couple aisles over. I walked over to see a little girl hugging a woman I assume was her mother. Her mom was trying to sooth her. I walked over and asked if the little girl had by chance lost something. The mom said yes, that she had lost the money that she had been saving. I smiled and held up the money I had just found. Her mother thanked me profusely and he little girl was smiling through hiccups. I was really glad to have been the one to find the money that day and return it to its rightful owner.

I never support this way of thinking. One reason why people have lost moral values is because of wanting to own and own and own by whatever means it took. If one couldn't find the owner, then give it to the church or authorities. If authorities decide to use it to their advantage, karma will be after them not me. We never know what the owner went through by losing that thing and some people think it's okay since they are not directly affected. They forget that what can happen to one person can happen to everyone. What comes around goes around. Good luck to keepers.

I believe the saying is only applicable when there is really no way to trace the owner of whatever it is you found. And it also depends on how valuable the thing is that was found. If we're talking loose change on the street that most everyone ignores, yes, keep it. But if you saw where it rolled out from, please, please do the right thing and return it. I once found a 50 peso bill inside a jeepney and there was no other passenger but myself. So I got and said my thanks. In the same manner, when we lose something valuable (like money), I always just say a quick prayer that whoever found it or got it needed it badly and would have good use for it. Now, if we're talking of gazillions of money and there is absolutely no way to know who it belongs to, you always have the option to keep some and give the others away to those who need it more than you. It's still a blessing but remember that it may also take something from you in return. As they say nowadays, karma is digital.

I do agree that anything that is not ours should be returned to its owner. However, that is only provided we know who is the owner. Take for instance, if you happen to pick up a $50 note from the floor, would you know who is the owner? Hand it over to the police? Keep it for yourself? Wait for someone to come and claim for it? How would you know that the claimer is the owner?

It all depends on what it is. Sometimes I do. Other times I just leave it there since there is no way I can find the original owner.

If it's something really big like someone's wallet, I'll return it because it's dishonest to keep it, but if it's like a five dollar bill lying in a parking lot or something, I'll keep it.

If there is any possible way to identify the owner then I would try to give it back. A few months ago I was in a store and found some little kids calculator. It had his school id in it and had his name and address. My bf wanted to keep the calculator but I turned it in to customer service. Maybe the kid knows where he last dropped it, maybe he doesn't. I don't know if the store did anything to try and contact him or not. If there is no possible way to identify the owner I'd keep it if I can use it. Also a few months ago I found a small cloth pouch almost like a change purse with nothing in it on the parking lot of a store. Anyone could have dropped it. There are several stores in that area that share the parking lot so there was absolutely no way possible an owner could have been identified and if I did turn it into a store which one? So I kept it. I ended up throwing it away anyway because I really wouldn't have used it.

I, myself, won't keep something I've found knowing it belongs to someone else but rather return it when I see the person again. Now if I find something and no one claims it in about a week or two then I consider it mine. I will do my best to find the owner but if I can't then I will keep it. I would hope someone else would do that for me. I'm an honest person to a fault and I'd rather other to be honest with me.