I’m sure we’ve all heard this philosophical question at some point in our lives: If a tree falls in the forest, does it make any sound? There are arguments for those in the yes camp and arguments for those in the no camp. Is anybody right? I suppose we’ll never know.
But, whether that tree makes a sound or not is not really what I want to talk about today. Today I’m talking about silent good deeds. The good deeds we do – or don’t do – when no one is around to see us. Do you see what I’m doing here? If no one’s around to see us, do we still do it? Just like that tree making noise huh? Except in this case, there is a correct answer – or at least there should be. We do it regardless. At least we should.
Some of these “deeds” are no-brainers, at least in my book. If we find a wallet, we try to return it to the owner, or relinquish it into the care of the shopkeeper where we found it or the police, etc. I think pretty much everyone here will agree that that is the proper thing to do whether anyone acknowledges our good deed or not. But, do we continue this trend with lesser things, things of little consequence?
I’d like to think I do, but there are times when I don’t. More on the don’t later. Here’s what I’m talking about for the dos. If I’m at the market and I’ve finished unloading the groceries from my shopping cart into my car, I will always return the cart to the cart corral. Always. In fact, if there is an abandoned cart along the way, I will tug it along with me to the cart corral. I just think it’s the right thing to do. I know there are “people” to do this job, but I believe that it’s just the right thing to do. I mean, I’m on my way to the corral anyway, why not tote both carts? Free up a parking space for the next guy.
I’ve also been known to pick up someone else’s garbage. I don’t always do this, but if there’s a trash can in sight and within easy walking distance, I’ll pick up the discarded trash and put it in the can. I’ve been known to re-shelve something in the wrong place at the grocery store. I will always change out the empty toilet paper roll (if there is another 
one handy) whether or not I’m the person who used it up. At the help yourself drink counter in restaurants, I’ll wipe up the mess left behind by someone before me. It’s just my little way of doing good deeds. They probably don’t mean anything to anybody else, but I feel as though I’ve earned a gold star for the day when I do these little things. Same thing with wiping up the day-old ketchup stuck to the seat of the back booth by the window. (Which brings up another point – why do they wipe the tables but not the chairs?)
Anyway, as I said above, I don’t always do these little good deeds. For example, when we first took over ownership here at the inn, I used to send back items left behind. I’ve returned shoes, pillows, power cords, night gowns, etc. This is sometimes an expensive proposition, so at some point along the journey, I decided that I’d call the guest first to see if they needed the item returned. Well, that and the fact that not one single time did anyone ever call to thank me for returning their item. Not once. That’s when I decided I’d stop automatically sending the stuff and call first. And, you know what? Surprisingly, most folks said “no,” they did not need their item returned. Weird, but whatever. Well that saved me some postage and trips to the post office.
Now, occasionally someone would come back for their left-behind item but it was almost always a phone or a tablet that warranted the backtracking. And, one time I overnight mailed some prescription medication to another B & B in another town so the guest wouldn’t be without their medicine. Hey, another good deed right?
But, for the most part, I try to do those “silent” good deeds whether anyone notices or not. Like that tree in the forest, I don’t need to make a noise for people to know that I’ve done a good deed.
How about you guys, do you practice good-deed-doing? What little things do you do that you don’t have to just because you’re a good person? Have you ever been the recipient of a good deed? Do tell.
Word of the day: Peccavi
Fun fact about me: I once found a $10 bill in a parking lot and I felt guilty keeping it. But, I figured if I asked someone if it was theirs they’d most likely say yes even if it wasn’t and then I’d be out $10. Is that wrong?
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, December 2019. Photos courtesy pexels.com, pixaby.com & Google Images.
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jansenschmidt 
Interesting subject, Patricia. I once found a thumb drive in a parking lot. I opened it at home to see if it would reveal the owner. It didn’t. The contents didn’t reveal any hint about who it might be or even where the owner might live. I even checked the lost and found in the paper for a few days. After a couple of weeks, I just started using it as my own.
As for the toilet paper, you should invest in one of those automatic replacement models. I love ours. Whenever one of ours gets really low, by the next time I see it, it has a full roll! I’m sure they would make good Christmas gifts too.
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Ah, so you found my thumb drive. That’s who has it! Good to know.
I’ve never heard of an automatic toiler paper replacer? Is this a real thing or are you pulling my leg?
Thanks for visiting today. Have a fantastic week.
Patricia
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Definitely pulling your leg. Sometimes my humor is pretty cryptic.
You have a great week also!
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I like the cryptic humor. I figured you were probably fibbing, but how grand would it be to have an automatic roll replacer huh? Something for you to work on and patent in all your free time. You’ll make a fortune. Of course, then you won’t be able to pull anyone’s leg any more with the suggestion of purchasing something that doesn’t exist, but, hey, you’d be rich.
Patricia
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Someone said that the definition of character is what you do when no one is watching. Maybe that’s a little oversimplified, but I think there a lot of truth in it.
Like you, I always put my grocery cart in the rack. Well, more accurately, my wife does, since we shop together and I usually start the car while she puts it up. It always baffles me that people just leave them wherever they unloaded them. I see this at times even when the rack is two steps away.
If I were an innkeeper, I think I’d maintain a lost and found and hold items there for some reasonable period of time. If no one called about an item within a week or a month or some other reasonable period, I would assumed it wasn’t important to anyone and just use it myself or give it away or toss it, depending on its importance. One exception – if it was obviously important, like a wedding band or a locket with a photo of someone’s grandma in it, I would try to locate the guest.
BTW, a sin is a sin, even if you dress it up and call it a peccavi.
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You know what? I do have a “lost and found” department. I keep items in that area until I make a trip to good will. And, yes, I will always return sentimental items. Lockets, rings, jewelry in general. And I always call the guest first to see if they want whatever is left behind. Unless they have an international phone number, then I can’t call. But, I will try to reach them via e-mail.
And, you are most correct, a sin is a sin is a sin no matter what you want to call it. Thanks for using the word of the day (week). See you next time.
Patricia
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I am also one of those cart-corral-return people, but I usually don’t clean public counters. I once found a $50 bill near the bank and called the bank to see if anyone came in looking for a lost $50. The clerk basically snickered and told me to keep it, and since I was headed to Reno that weekend…I did. But I did leave my number in case someone came back to the bank asking about it. I can’t believe people didn’t thank you for returning their forgotten items! I would be very grateful to have an innkeeper be thoughtful enough to take the extra time and expense to get my stuff back to me. Kudos to you! I think Mickey Mouse would approve. 🙂
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Well we all know it about pleasing Mickey Mouse. He’s like my Santa.
Yeah, when I failed to get the proper thank you I realized that my thoughtfulness probably wasn’t appreciated as much as I though it should be and therefore, no more automatic return. Unless, it’s obviously something of significant value. I’d never keep those things without making every effort to return them.
I hope you doubled your $50 in Reno!
Thanks for stopping by. Have a fantastic week filled with good deeds.
Patricia
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Once when we owned a bar, my husband left a money pouch containing over $1000 in a grocery cart. (His excuse was our screaming kid also in the cart.) Another shopper found it and called him. He was so thankful, and sent her a $100 gift card to a restaurant she liked.
He’s also left things at hotels – once, a pillow with a pillowcase that matched our bedspread, that was no longer sold in stores (this was before eBay). We didn’t care about the pillow. I would’ve liked the pillowslip back, but I couldn’t imagine the hotel shipping it to us from Canada, so we just dealt with mismatched pillows after that. Nice of you to call folks and offer to return their stuff! No peccavi for you, that’s for sure!
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Wow – $1,000!! A good Samaritan indeed. How did they know how to find you? God bless the honest people huh? And good for your husband to pass along the good deed with another good one of his own. That’s exactly what I would have done.
Now, as for the screaming kid, I’d trade her in. (You know I’m kidding.)
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad to know there are good people in the world still.
Patricia
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