Leap of Faith

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone," Henry David Thoreau.

It all started on top of a cliff over looking an ocean. My views had been dramatically changed the previous week. My life was about to change drastically within that hour. A week before that chance encounter I was awarded a check of $20,000.

I received an envelope in the mail containing a letter and a check. The letter stated that I won the first place in a contest I never entered. Nine students had been chosen to receive various prize amounts based on the "honesty policy." Which I found ironic, being that the number nine represents honesty, fulfillment, and completion. I happened to have the highest GPA that bumped me to first place. Students across the country were manipulating their grades and not practicing integrity when it came to their studies. Not only were they cheating on their exams, they were also not even paying attention when their virtual classes were being held. People tend to act differently when they know they are being watched. I wonder if they knew they were being monitored would that have compelled them to do the right thing.

This was happening all over the country, not just within the school systems. Due to the pandemic many citizens were manipulating the government by applying for assistance for which they did not qualify. Many were claiming unemployment that were never employed in the first place. Many were falsifying their records to boost their claims and funding. So what will happen with my generation and the next due to all of this corruption? How can the next wave of doctors, lawyers, nurses, social workers, and other members of society perform their jobs if they never truly retained the information they were suppose to learn?

Nevertheless, my family and friends were overjoyed at my winnings and seemed extremely happy for me. Then I started hearing about their unfortunate experiences in their lives. Unemployment, evictions, not being able to pay their bills, and countless other sad stories. This pandemic has affected me as well. I truly wished I could help them all. They all seemed to need my assistance at the same time. After informing them that my check did not even clear yet, I was screamed at and called all kind of obscure vulgarities. A part of me was glad the money was not available yet. If it had been I probably would have lent it all out, without knowing the true nature of the people I was only trying to help. The messages, notifications, and phone calls became so overwhelming. I decided to take a drive, it was the end of spring semester and the start of my summer break.

I ended up at the cliff staring at the ocean and crying. Not just sporadic sad tears, they were the angry and ugly cry kind of tears. Then I reached that the only sane and logical conclusion would be to throw my phone in the ocean. All of a sudden I hear a man that was on a bench writing in a little black book say, "Are you working on your curve ball?" I could not help but to laugh. Then explaining the reasons that led me there. He asked the million dollar question, or the twenty thousand dollar question. "What are you going to do with the money." I had no response really I told him I always wanted to travel. The only options were to spend it, save it, or invest it. We both engaged in casual conversation about our lives. He just gotten back from a trip around the world, and reassured me that this is happening everywhere not just in the United States. I could not stop asking him of where all he went, what it was like, what was his favorite place, and how the language barrier affected him. Then telling him I too wanted to go on a trip like that eventually, however I hate travelling alone. To which he replied, "travelling alone will be the most liberating and fulfilling experience of your life." I felt so much better after our brief conversation. He truly brought me hope. He then went back to writing on the bench. At which point I kept pondering about life. Almost pulling my phone out of my purse, then quickly remembering it was in the ocean.

About a half of an hour later he approached me stating that I was one of the good ones and to not change for anything or anyone. He handed me his little black book. Then asking him what it was, to which he replied, "famous last words." Then quite serenely and peacefully jumped off of the cliff. I was so shocked and dumbfounded. I just kept staring over the cliff to see if he somehow survived. Now I was completely flabbergasted and confused. How did that conversation help me and compel him to do that? Almost forgetting that little black book he gave me, I went over to the bench he sat and began reading his writings. After opening the cover a piece of paper slipped out. It was not a piece of paper at all. It was a check for 1 million dollars, made out to me, and in the memo read, "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone."

I sat there for the next hour reading all about his travels. He saw the Taj Mahal in India, The Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome, Eiffel Tower in France, Buckingham Palace in Great Brittan. Tokyo, Russia, Albania, Bosnia, Greece, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Egypt. All of which had one entry for each place. The dates were spanned over a year. Each entry stated his favorite part of the destination, what he ate, a few details of his observations. For every one contained one thing he saw that put faith in humanity, and one thing that showed the corruption of it. In Rome, he saw a family all meeting for lunch in the middle of the day, then they all went back to work or school. Also seeing a man pickpocketing tourists by the Colosseum. In Spain he saw strong ties to religion and a sense of community, everyone seemed to know everyone. He saw countless conversations happen randomly just sitting at a cafe. Sitting at the same cafe he also saw police beating up on a man as he was being arrested.

All of his experiences brought me mixed feelings. A part of me wanted to go out and experience these places on my own. Another part of me felt conflicted because of all of the deceit I have already seen and heard about. The last page was an entry for me.

"No matter whom is gifted this book and this check, be sure to know that I have travelled to every country, and have not found anyone worthy of this money or my personal experiences. This means that I am gifting you the burden of money. It is a blessing and a curse. There is good and bad in everything, everywhere, and everyone. It is up to you to see the good parts, and not be consumed by the bad. Always keep hope alive. I know that whomever receives this is a good and honest person filled with integrity." I am in tears there is one more sentence on the back cover. "Now you can take your trip, do not tell anyone about this check, and do not forget to tell the world about your story."