Losing a Wallet in a Culture of Trust

Last week I dropped my wallet while walking out of the Frugal Frame Shop on Bozeman’s West Main Street.  Two young people were outside, one on a lift.  They were putting up a new sign just above the entrance door.  

I said “Hi”, when walking in.  “Nice sign.”  End of contact.  Wrong!

Frugal Frame is one of those successful small stores that provides the products and that services make Bozeman such a pleasant and productive place. (Check it out at http://www.frugalframeshop.com 2612 W. Main Street, Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59718 sadie@frugalframeshop.com - 406-586-8644).  

It’s fun to stop by the shop even if just to see the wall hangings.

Twenty minutes after leaving I missed my wallet while at Staples picking up reprints of articles on our ranch.  My mental retracing steps and stops was interrupted by a call.  It was Sadie, owner of Frugal Frame, telling me she had my wallet.  The sign hangers found it and brought it to her.  

Before I got back to the Frugal Frame Shop, the young workers were gone.  They had returned to the company shop, SIGN SOLUTIONS, before going to their next job.

I rarely carry much cash but in preparation for a trip, my wallet held several Franklins and Grants, well over $500 in total.  Naturally, I went to the sign shop, told the manager Sharon, that she had highly honorable employees.  I took out a $100, stapled it to my card, and asked the manager to please give it to them.  

Sharon said: “Oh, they are just working in the back and surely would like to thank me.”  She called asking Kat and JR, to come to the counter.  

Pleasantly surprised, they agreed to split the $100 evenly.   Kat was especially pleased.  She was getting married on Saturday and needed money for reception refreshments.  

OMG!  There was a young woman getting married in four days and scraping up money for the wedding reception.  She and her co-worker found a fat wallet and turned it into the logical place, the shop I had just left.  Understanding this, I became misty eyed.  Wish I had given her more. 

This experience again taught me that one of life’s greatest blessings is living in a community where trust is the norm.  Trust is a luxury to treasure.  Even some economists understand this.* 

I suggest we recognize and reward individuals who demonstrate trust and honorable behavior.  Many here do.  That is one reason why the Gallatin Valley has become so attractive, people intuit this cultural feature.  

A major challenge is to maintain this culture of trust.  Please do your part.  

 f.n.  David C. Rose, Why Culture Matters Most.  Oxford University Press, 2019