Lucky Autumn

It was a brisk fall afternoon as I headed home from work. The sun was still shining and felt warm on my face. I decided to take a walk and stop at a used bookstore that was tucked away in a small row of shops just off main street. As I entered, the familiar smell of old and new books filled my senses. Reading is a favorite past-time, and I hadn’t read anything new in a month or so. I had been in such a mundane existence lately of work and home. I hadn’t even taken a vacation or sick day in quite some time. I stopped at the small bin just inside the door that had a sign reading “free, take one or leave one”. I rummaged through it looking for an interesting title and came upon a little black book. It was not a normal reading book. It was a journal of sorts. A little black book just bigger than my hand and about a half inch thick with rounded corners. It had a band holding it closed but had no title or writing on the cover. I recognized it from others of the brand I had owned and wondered how it had gotten here. Maybe there was a story written in it, or maybe someone had just misplaced it.

I opened the front cover to see if there was a name in the, “this book belongs to”, inscription. It read “Finders Keepers”, with an additional note just below, “*See pg. 75*”. I chuckled to myself because the pages weren’t numbered. There were some pages that had been torn out, and only small, tattered bits remained near the binding. This was an odd find, but the notebook was in good condition and seemed to have quite some life left in it. I began to imagine what had been written once upon a time in this notebook. It was a wondrous tool with a seemingly mysterious past. There may have been a drawing, or maybe a secret or two written in it. Perhaps a way for someone to remember daily notes or creative ideas. It was such a simple yet versatile object to be used by almost anyone. I couldn’t imagine why someone would put it in this box on purpose. I could just imagine It being used by a mother to keep her child occupied while shopping, or an astrophysicist unraveling the mysteries of the universe.

I must have been standing there a good few minutes just imagining the life this book once knew with a goofy grin on my face, because when the voice said “can I help you”, I jumped. My face turned a little flush as I looked up to see the young associate cautiously eyeing me. He looked as if he almost didn’t want my answer to be yes. I closed the book and half chuckled as I told the young man I was just lost in thought, but I was good. I thanked him for the offer and took my new treasure and headed out of the store. I decided to grab dinner to go and head home to relax for the evening.

I settled into my comfy recliner with my dinner to relax and find a use for my new little black book. I again turned to the front page and smiled at the humorous inscription. I began flipping the pages to see if there were any other wonders within. I stopped, my interest peaked, and my mind began to churn with a bit of excitement as I spotted a small number 75 on the bottom of the page. This was not coincidence, it felt like a scavenger hunt. I excitedly read the inscription on the page, “Life is full of wonder and sometimes luck! Check the back pocket and win or lose, please pay it forward”. How exciting! I’ve heard about such adventures and randomness but never figured I would come across it. I quickly turned to the back, where there was a little pocket, which was another nice feature of this notebook. I half expected a note saying “gotcha”, but to my surprise tucked away was a small, silver, holographic scratch off ticket.

I was grinning ear to ear; this was ingenious and quite reminiscent of a childhood treasure adventure. It looked real enough, but I just wanted to scratch it. What did I have to lose? I didn’t expect any winnings, the thrill of the event was exciting in its own right. Win or lose, I decided right then that I would indeed pay it forward as the originator had intended. This was a definite distraction from the daily adulting I had become accustomed to. My mind went almost blank as I stared at the freshly scratched ticket. I had abandoned reality for a moment and felt in another world. Did this ticket really show I had just won $20,000? As excited as I was with the flash of adrenaline running through me, my skepticism again kicked in. I scanned the front again with more intensity and quickly turned it over to analyze the back to scour every word. I half expected it to have a fake ticket disclaimer. Short of biting on it to see if it was real, I must have flipped it over and over for at least 5 minutes.

Well, as it turned out the ticket was indeed real! I was on a cloud of pure joy. My faith in not just miracles, but in the goodness of people and adventures was renewed. We often get caught up in the humdrum of daily life and the other things we need to survive. I was forever changed and began searching for more little black books with character to send out into the world. I found 3 used ones and went and bought 7 more. Whether they held timeless treasures from the past, or were ready for future ones, I was going to continue the adventure. I placed the tickets in the back pockets and wrote similar inscriptions on various pages. It would have the same effect for those who dared to look, but I made each one a little different. It was quite a satisfying endeavor. I could never predict what each ticket I place in the notebooks had in store for the finder. I did know that it would still have to incite some sort of adventure into other lives. At the very least, leave them with a fun little black book to preserve the pieces of a life lived on earth, and hopefully a renewed sense of mystery and adventure!