A couple of times in the past week, I’ve had the opportunity to do the right thing. And I did.

What surprises me is the reaction from the folks at the other end.

I went to the Make It Market in St. Albert a couple of weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with Clutch Jewelry.

Mary, who’s the owner/designer/manufacturer/salesperson is lovely and a treat to deal with. In the course of making my purchase, she inadvertently typed in the wrong amount to be billed to my credit card. She shorted herself by $100. I didn’t notice until I got home and immediately emailed her to let her know what happened and find out how I could fix the situation. Her designs and quality are brilliant, and I feel it important to honour her work.

She was surprised, to say the least, that I would contact her to find out how to send her an additional $100. But really, I would hope there are enough decent people in the world who would do the same.

The second incident happened when I filled up with gas this week. I also bought a couple of lottery tickets (hey, ya never know). When the clerk rang through the purchase, she only charged me for the lottery, not the gas. When I pointed out the error, she too was amazed. She said you’d be surprised how many people wouldn’t say anything. Well, that’s just plain stealing.

So I’ve learned a couple of things. Firstly that, apparently, doing the right thing isn’t as common as it should be. And, secondly, we all make mistakes. Someone shouldn’t have to pay for it (literally and figuratively) as a result of your dishonesty.

Do the right thing. And, make someone’s day.