At our dress rehearsal for Christmas Stories, one of our choir members left his cell phone in the rehearsal space. He was frantic that it was lost – like most people, their phones contain their lives – but Tom Johnston, resident Transylvanian*, bass and Thing-Finder, was able to reunite man and phone. His response to my thanks is worth re-printing for a fun guest post.

~ Karen Akers, President, VCS

Lost and found. Usually more lost than found.

I have a history of finding lost things and returning them. Never turn anything in to the “lost & found.” It will only be lost forever. Finding something and locating its owner is a treasure hunt for me, with great personal satisfaction.

• Umbrella left at Vienna Choral Society practice – I put it in the window behind Jen the next week, and the owner saw it and retrieved it. Otherwise it would probably still be in lost & found somewhere.
• Address Book on the subway platform – old and handwritten – It belonged to a woman from Ohio, visiting DC. It contained most of her adult life. I mailed it to her.
• Wallet rolling in the street by the bus stop – dodged traffic to get it – Just as I thought, the woman had left it on the roof of her car while getting gas. No address or phone, so I called the number on her AmEx card. She was single, well-to-do, and understandably nervous. Happy to find I was not dangerous looking, she offered a reward, which I declined.
• iPhone in the Post Office – iPhones had only been out for a couple months, and were still long back-ordered. Called the most recently called number.

“Ricardo. What’s up!”
“Sorry. I am not Ricardo but I have his phone. How can I get it to him?”

Note: put a label inside the shell, “Reward if Found. Call ____.” I got my own BlackBerry back that way. Twice.

~ Tom Johnston, VCS Bass

* Tom’s in the crazy white wig. In case that wasn’t apparent.