The Christmas Gift

I only lost my wallet once in my life, and it was only lost for a short time. It was 1965 or so, at Christmastime, and I was teaching Junior High school. This was on a day where the kids were gone and the teachers were finishing grades, with a lunch and a Secret Santa party afterward in the school. Right before lunch I had the need to go to the bathroom.

I sat on the toilet (this is the graphic bit) thinking about my day, and it was a good chance to sit down. I realized I had better get moving because we were off to our events and I hurried out of the bathroom.

A while later I realized that I had lost my wallet. I ran around the school searching for the wallet to no avail. I had surely brought it with me in the morning but where had it gone to?

The time was running out, and seeing no end in sight, I just moved on to the activities of the day. We got through the lunch, a jolly bunch of young teachers with no kids in school and moved on to the Secret Santa gifts. While I have little memory of the day, I do remember my first present (there should only have been one), a happy group of teachers all waited while I unwrapped a beautifully wrapped present of my wallet! One of the teachers had found it on the floor of the teachers Men’s Room and carefully wrapped it up in Christmas paper and all waited for my reaction.

I was embarrassed, of course, but it was a happy day for me! My wallet was back, and I haven’t lost one since.