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Warm fuzzies for Friday

"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank

This post is going to have nothing to do with either teaching or economics because I broke the rule I created for myself last fall and I read my course evaluations without having something else already planned to immediately take my mind off of them (because while there were many very nice comments, I will naturally obsess over the many negative ones). So instead, I just want to share a story that re-affirms my belief that there are truly a lot of good people in this world.

I just got back from a three-day trip to Reno with my extended family. Wednesday was a particularly good day as I got a huge bonus on the goldfish slot machine game (for anyone who hasn't been in a casino in a while, slot machines these days are a whole different animal than the old pull-the-arm-and-watch-the-reels-spin machines. Today's machines all have cool graphics and fun interactive 'bonus' games - very entertaining, even if you aren't winning much money). But at dinner, my sister realized that she was missing her ring. For Christmas, my mother had had identical rings made for herself, my sister and me, all set with diamonds from a ring inherited from my grandmother, who passed away in June. The rings themselves are beautiful - three diamonds in a white gold setting - but for us, the sentimental value really surpasses the monetary value. So when we realized my sister's ring was gone, we were all pretty upset. She thought she had left it in the bathroom at Circus Circus so we went and asked at the Lost and Found there but no luck. I'm usually an optimist and tend to believe in the good in people but everyone else was sure the ring was gone, thinking it unlikely that someone who happened to find a diamond ring would turn it in.

On Thursday, we played a bit at Circus Circus in the morning and were about to leave to head to the airport. We were walking past the security station and I asked my sister if she wanted to just check one last time to see if the ring had turned up. Well, it had! A floor attendant had turned it in the night before! It's hard to describe the relief and joy we all felt but this was seriously better than any jackpot anyone in the family had won the whole trip!

So this is my proof that there are plenty of good people in this world. Happy Friday!
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