How a softball glove gave me faith in humanity

Sometimes it is the little things in life that make the biggest difference in how we feel about our fellow people. I have a story about one of those situations.

The league

I have played in a men's inner city softball league for about 6 years. There are about 8 teams and we are very diverse. Some are church groups and some are family teams and some just friends from the neighborhoods, we even have a team from a halfway house. I play with a team from my late fiancee's family. About three years ago I decided to retire my old glove a Rawlings that is about 25 years old. The leather had started to rot inside so it had to go. I decided to pick the best glove I could find a Nakona and spent about $250. I like that it is made in America of the finest materials, I wanted something that was going to last until I was done with softball at 70. I'm not a great player I'm an average player on an average team in a below average league. The whole point is to go out and have fun get some exercise and enjoy the summer.

Something is missing

Two weeks ago we had a game and we lost by 1 run. I played terrible I popped out three times and dropped a ball in the outfield, this is not typical and had a lot to do with an injured thumb. After the game I packed up my bags and headed home. The next week I got to the game early, I was excited to play and my thumb was feeling better. I went into my bag and my glove was gone. I was thinking maybe it's in my car. I went and looked and it wasn't. I was pretty upset with myself. I had left it at the field last week. It took me more than a year to break it in and it was a nice glove. I asked my teammates if anyone saw it or picked it up and none of them had. Someone loaned me a spare for the game and we won I had a good game with an outfield assist and three hits. Still I was disappointed my glove was gone.

A nice surprise

After the game I asked a few of the other teams if they had seen it. I wasn't expecting much and had given it up for lost at this point. I figured someone saw it and kept it. I asked the coach of the team who played after us and he said he had picked up a glove off the bench. It was mine! I got my glove back I thanked him for picking it up. The funny thing is I assumed that someone was going to take it and keep it, I've always been paranoid that it would get stolen. I was so grateful to have it back.

What would I do

I was thinking what would I have done? Would I have left it there? Would I have kept it? I like to think I would have grabbed it and then asked around to see who had lost one. Probably not though I think I would have left it, not my glove not my problem. What if someone came back for it? I don't know. I was just so happy to have my glove back and that someone thought to grab it. Was it right to be suspicious that someone would steal my glove?