Hey Buddy You Drop this $$ ?

Hey Buddy, You Drop This . . .? (c)

By: ‘The Real” Jeff Stewart

“Hey buddy you dropped this?” came the strangers voice from behind me as I walked toward the exit. Instinctively, or possibly with the knowledge that my unorganized behind was always dropping something I turned around. Walking toward me was a middle-age white male holding a crumpled up ten dollar bill. “I think you dropped this” he said, almost as an affirmation more than an inquiry. As I reached out to accept the bill, I half expected someone else to lay claim to the abandoned ten dollar bill. But no one did. I thanked the gentleman and stuck the wayward bill back in my pocket, while clutching my sausage biscuit meal and sweet tea, the latter of
which I have become extremely fond of since moving to Savannah. Most likely I put the money back in the same place it fell from originally. Okay so I’m not the brightest bulb in the lamp – I get that. However The honesty of this total stranger reminded me of something that happened to me several years ago when I was in my late 20’s or early 30’s.

My friend Keith and I were attending the Washington DC Boat Show. We had climbed aboard this gorgeous Searay mini yacht that had a front and rear bedroom. As we waited our turn to look inside the rear sleeping area a young white couple emerged. I entered first,
followed by my boy Keith. I noticed something on the ground and I picked it up. It was a tightly folded twenty dollar bill, actually 2 or 3 folded bills, with the two zero clearly visible on the outside bill. Keith looked at me, (presumably waiting for his cut) but I walked past him and out of the rear cabin. The young couple was still inside the 35 foot long vessel, looking at another area of the boat. I asked the dude “did you just come from the rear of this boat?” He gave me this ‘whatever it is you gonna accuse me of I didn’t do’ look, so I said “I think she dropped this”, and handed her the bills. She felt the rear pocket of her jeans from the outside, then quickly put her hand inside the now empty pocket. She took the bills and said thank-you, as did the guy. I think hers was sincere; his more out of relief that he was not about to have an encounter in a small space with two thuggish looking Black males. Now they felt obligated to make small talk with us about the boat, of which neither group could afford. As they were climbing up the ladder leading to the deck and off the boat, the lady remarked “that was really nice of them.”

Keith, witnessing the event but not saying anything the whole time, finally said to me “I know why you did that”. Keith knew me well enough to know that Black White stereo types bother me no end, and I knew that chick in her wildest dreams would not have expected someone of my race doing that. THAT’S why I did it. Because all young Black African American males ARE NOT all thugs and hoodlums.

Which brings me back to my ten dollar bill. Before that sunny morning in the Golden Arches I had never met Mr. Michael Herold. Michael has a company called Fencecraft and as the name implies they install fences and related services. Now if Michael is that honest and courteous to a total stranger, imagine how he treats his paying customers. So if you ever need any fencing services in the Blufton, SC area reach out to Michael at 843-579-9111 or email him at fencecraft@homessc.com Tell him you read about him TRT magazine. I ain’t saying he’s gonna give you a discount; I’m just saying whatever you guys agree on will be money well spent. And that’s FOR REAL!

This copywrited material my not be used without the expressed or written consent of TRT Publications. For more information contact “The Real” Jeff Stewart at trtpub@gmail.com