Thanks to Whom? The Virgin of the Valley?
California Highway Patrol - Lt. Gustavo Torres
Dear Lieutenant Torres,
I just received my lost wallet.
I’m thankful to the efficiency of the CHP. I feel safe when an experience like this* happens to me.
Special thanks to the mystery truck driver, Officer Yoon and Officer Tao and the CHP team.
Sincerely,
Rennea Couttenye
August 22, 2024
*I related the following story to my friends and through social media.
• • • T H A N K S • • • G R A C I A S •••
I stop on the pacific Coast Highway to put gas near Santa Monica and I realize that I don’t have my wallet YIKES! EMERGENCY EMERGENCY! How will I make it all the way to San Francisco?
••• I do a quick back memory search and I remember throwing a lot of garbage in the previous rest stop in San Onofre. I had eaten a delicious Hagen Das bar that mostly melted in the heat and I ate the rest and made a big mess. Plastic wrapper, boxes, paper towels, all went in the trash and I figured I must have thrown my mini-wallet along with it. What to do? $40 cash won’t suffice to bring me back home to SF.
••• THANK THE UNIVERSE FOR PHONES - I was able to fill up using my electronic wallet on the phone and figured that I was lucky after all. A quick check on my balances showed no activity, beyond that last ice cream I purchased. So I summoned focus and PEACE OF MIND and drove along trying not to think about it. I would deal with this upon arrival to San Francisco.
••• Three credit cards, my drivers license, my insurance card, my clipper card and LA VIRGEN DEL VALLE, patron of the island of Margarita, a stamp that my brother gave me years ago and I always keep, the leather blue wallet, a gift from Ramón many birthdays ago, ¿where would I find another one like that?. I made it safe to San Francisco, let’s realize what is the most important here : )
••• Next morning I have a message on my phone. The CHP, California Highway Patrol has found something “of great interest to me” as they put it . SUPER BEYOND EXCITEMENT- I know exactly what they were talking about. I called them back and yes, they had my wallet.
••• A truck driver had found it on the ground and turned it in. Officer Yoon had gone through the trouble to find me any way he could and he did through Instagram where I actually list my phone and email! Officer Tao made sure I was who I said I was. I described the wallet color and material, the bank names, the address and license number, the saint that had kept my wallet safe, everything in detail. ALL THE STARS ALIGNED
••• Today I received my wallet by overnight express and the officers would not take any money from me, for their service, cost of mailing or even a donation to the local charity they choose.
Who should I thank first?
The mystery truck driver
Officer Yoon in San Onofre
Officer Tao in San Onofre
CHP system for lost and found recovery
iPhone wallet technology
Instagram
La Virgen del Valle
FEDEX
My cool calm collected mind that didn’t freak out?
Did I miss anyone/anything?
🫀
No comments:
Post a Comment