gessman Loc: Colorado

[quote=tilde531]

I thought it was worth sharing but "great man?" Nah - just a person trying to put myself in the shoes of another and doing what I was taught as a kid - "the right thing." I know how much that would've meant to me had someone done that for me. Didn't hurt me any to do that. I have a little emotion well-up when I think about it and it does slip my mind until a little trigger word comes along. It was a very rewarding experience for me to put those folks youth back in their hands, trips to the beach, family vacations to San Francisco, their mother graduating from Smiths College, a very prestigious school there in the northeast, I think, in upstate New York, etc.

You're the one that made me tell the story - you dropped the trigger word - "Macy's." It's your fault.

DB Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

I agree 100% Gessman has so much knowledge it will take us each more than 75 years to absorb 1/4th of it. He's one of the main reasons I stay with this forum....

leatherhelmets Loc: Center Conway, NH

Agree with you DB....you're contributions are also something I look forward to.

Thanks.

gessman Loc: Colorado

I sincerely appreciate your comments but they're making me uncomfortable. I just thought the story was a little unusual and you would find it to be so - another instance of how I get myself into such things - and out again. Isn't what I did what anyone would have done given all the circumstances coming together as they did - my projectionist experience, being in Tucson when they reels were there, having a loupe in my pocket, recognizing what I had found, etc., all just a set of circumstances that begged for a response. Wouldn't anybody have done the same thing? Probably, so then it was nothing special but it did give me a lot of satisfaction, tracking down a person who had both common first and last names. There were only just over 4,500 of them in the phone books of the U. S. Turns out the first name could be spelled in more than one way because it has double letter combinations in it. That made it a little tricky but I suppose it was all meant to be because it happened. Nothing special, please. I won't tell you any more stories. Ah, you say - we'll just call him a hero and he'll shut up. You're right. I will. Perhaps I should anyway.

leatherhelmets Loc: Center Conway, NH

Don't take it that way. Good story tellers are few and far between and, I fear, a dying breed. Please continue sharing, I and many others will surely keep reading.

esqtree Loc: Topeka

freshman effort

Rock Chalk

DB Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

First of all, you KNOW better than that. Most people would not have gone to that extent... most wouldn't have even looked at the film.... so like it or not, we are impressed by your knowledge and committment to your craft. Learn to live with it cause admiration is not going away.... and I know how to find you hehehehhe.

lesws Loc: Colorado

I am almost afraid to put mine on hear. You guys are good.

DB Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

Love the reflection in these...... they are good
Never be afraid to post your photos..... just remember if YOU like them thats whats important and everything else is opinion.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Nonsense man. They're all good. Ones with reflections are twice as good. Thanks for sharing. Nice!

Frank S Loc: Nampa, Idaho

Thanks Gessman,

You are too kind.

You're welcomed to Idaho anytime. Contact me if you come...maybe I can show you some of the sights abundant in our beautiful state.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Thank you sir. I sincerely appreciate the offer.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Good stuff. I enjoy seeing all the different ones that people come up with, shapes, colors, etc. Thanks for posting yours. I like 'em, a lot. It's also interesting to see the interest level around the country, places where people are into balloons. Do you know if any of these balloonists have made it to the big show down in Albuquerque or not?

gessman Loc: Colorado

I'm going to add more along and am hoping to see more from others.

I'm watching you, dude! Paper tiger! One wrong move and I'll show you "crunchy"...

tilde531 Loc: Seaford Delaware

I would have done the same thing, in trying to find the family, yes! But then again, I turn in wallets to police when I find them if no ID in it... and when I see someone short on cash in front of me in line at the checkout and I can help, I give them the difference... and I hold doors for people and ... well so many other kind things.
Believe it or not, what you did as a matter-of-fact, natural, nice and "right" thing to do... is rare these days!

I wasn't saying you're a hero, necessarily.
But giving that family back their history, and family momento... basically giving them back their life with their Father... was a great thing to do.

Most people in your position may have, sadly, used the film for their own purpose... viewed it for their own pleasure and then looked for a way to profit from it... and if they didn't find any, discarded it.

It's the world we live in these days.

Do you know: When I was attending my first photography contest this past summer, it was at a local Wildfowl Museum. I had to re-do our food budget for the week just to spare the $40 to enter my photos.
On the day of the competition, Ken gave me a $10 bill because he was called away and didn't know how long he'd have to leave me alone there. That money was to buy myself and my daughter Emily something to eat because I'm hypo-glycemic and if I get the shakes and don't eat, I'll faint and go into a coma.

About 1/2 later, I was looking at my photos on the wall with the others and thought to snap a photo of the wall while few people were in the small room.

I must've pulled out the $10 bill when I pulled my camera out of my pocket (having NOT brought my purse on purpose) and didn't realize it until I went to walk out of the room, putting my camera back into my pocket and not feeling the money there.

I panicked and searched... looked like an idiot because I was getting shaky and that was all the money I had. There was a couple standing nearby where I was photographing the wall, watching and I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that she bent down while I was distracted but paid no attention to her.

Well, as I was acting frantic searching for this money, her face got really red and she and her husband hurried out the door of the room... with me speaking rather loudly to my daughter about how it was the ONLY money we had and I had the shakes and we really needed that money back.... WELL within earshot of that couple. I was sincerely hoping she'd "do the right thing"... as I certainly would have if the situation was reversed!

That woman was much more well-to-do than I am... gold jewelry all over her, nice clothes, expensive perfume... dressed to the nines as was her husband. They didn't need that $10, but they kept it anyway.

"Finders, keepers" is the saying...

No.
What you did does not make you a hero.
It makes you a good person who does the right thing because it comes natural to you.
And that is rare these days.

I'm sorry my comments made you feel un-comfy. Please accept my apology...