I can't be the only one this has happened to - Tot Lot lesson

[Echoplex]

The kids and I went on a Tot Lot tour today and I have to wonder if the following has happened to anyone else. It is funny to me, but my 9 year old almost lost his mind over it:

Our first lot of the day, I was swinging and my son was digging/pinpointing. We found ourselves being shadowed by a group of curious kids as we began pulling targets from the wood chips. We were pulling the usual stuff, clad, charms, buttons. Finally, a little girl mustered up enough courage to ask me: "Excuse me, can I pleeeeeeease get to keep whatevers in the next hole?" I smiled and agreed, and her eyes lit up in excitement. I swung no more than 2 feet and got a target. I tiny, crisp, +35 VDI. I immediately thought to myself, CRAP! I knew this was going to happen. I swiped away the woodchips with my boot and there it was. A sweet little earring with a tiny green gemstone glistening in the light. She plucked it out and was beaming with happiness. I asked if I could take a look at it and, sure enough, it had 14k stamped on the back. It clearly was a pricey earring and the little stone was probably an emerald. It was a very wealthy neighborhood. I smiled and told her it was real gold and all the other kids let out an "oooohhhhhh!" Meanwhile, my 9 year old is having a cow on the sideline, about ready to cry. We rarely ever find gold in Tot Lots. I pulled him aside and explained why keeping your word is important, so we both had a good little life lesson there. After our quick chat, I had about 6 or 7 kids pleading "can I be next! Me! Me!" lol... It was time to pack up and move on to the next.

Anyway, I just thought it was funny and I even had a gut feeling the moment I said yes to the girl's request. I bet she asks Santa for a detector this year

HH

 

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[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Second swing at my first permission was my first and only gold ring. Deal with home owner was splitting the finds, I knew the moment I pulled the gold from the ground that I wasn't going home with it. Good karma and great lesson on integrity for your child, priceless! (To bad you did not get a pic of the earring with the little girl.)

 

[fish1on]

That has happened many times to me as I often hit Tot lots (Easy on the body to recover finds). I now say if asked the "question" all newer pennies you can have but the rest is mine to help pay for new batteries. I had one little girl that wanted all aluminum stuff for a craft project...she went home with a pile for sure after the tot lot and the surrounding park.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Well you could have swung until you got a copper or silver signal and dug then returned to dug up the gold. Glad you kept your word, great lesson for the youngster. It's not always easy to do the right thing.

 

[Sodapop]

Great story! You made one little girl's month. Good on you.

 

[WHADIFIND]

Well, think about it this way.

1 tiny earring, gold, tiny emerald fragment worth ? What do you suppose the weight of that gold and or stone combined would sell for?

1 little girl with a prize she'll remember the rest of her life, from that nice metal detectorist? Karma

A life time lesson for your son? Priceless!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on the gold find and the teachable moment for your son!

 

[A2coins]

That's hillariuos sounds like something I would do well it was meant to be believe it or not!!!! You gave someone a little Christmas gift, and they were probably more happy with it than you would have been. I'm not saying you wouldn't be happy but little kids get super excited!!! But it will only last a little while, you should wait a week or so and bribe her with some candy or something to trade it back!!! Thanks for sharing that very funny and sad!!!!!

 

[patiodadio]

The same thing happened to me except is was an old copper water line fitting that the kid got ........

 

[against the wind]

That little girl may grow up to be president some day.
With the memories she has of how kindly she was treated by that man with the metal detector, there just might be an Executive Order that will allow metal detecting on all federal lands.
You did good.

 

[Deft Tones]

She will never forget.

 

[treblehunter]

Well, think about it this way.

1 tiny earring, gold, tiny emerald fragment worth ? What do you suppose the weight of that gold and or stone combined would sell for?

1 little girl with a prize she'll remember the rest of her life, from that nice metal detectorist? Karma

A life time lesson for your son? Priceless!

I totally agree, you would be hard pressed to get 20 bucks for it. I would have had to of had a photo of her smiling face. Great memory, good work!

 

[trapperart]

Nice story, you can never go wrong doing right good for you

 

[pganjon]

Thats Awesome! God Bless you 10 fold for you honesty, generosity and integrity. You can't put a price on the lesson that you taught that day! Paul

 

[CRUSADER]

If your considering doing it again, you might want to say you can help find it, but you keep it. They still get half the fun, & the balance is kept.

 

[SD51]

You did the right thing and it will pay you back down the road!

This past summer I was detecting in a park and there were quite a few families that were in the tot lot so I stayed quite a ways away. Eventually, here came a group of curious kids and I said that each of them can have a target after I dig it. After the normal penny, nickel and dime finds it was this little girls turn to have a prize. I get a good signal and look down and see what looks like an Olympic bronze metal laying right on the surface!

I pick it up and see that it was in-fact a bronze metal awarded for achieving a new running distance level and it has the image of a female runner on it! I handed it to the little girl and said this is yours! See was estatic and ran back to her mother to show her. Her mother came over and I said that it was hers to keep. Felt sorry that someone lost it but I had to leave then because every other kid wanted me to find something for them that was that cool!

 

[Blak bart]

I did the same thing at a swim beach here in the keys. Exactly the same scenario.i had 4 kids following me around like I was the pied piper, little girl says can I have whatever you find in the next hole, I say yes and its a 14k gold heart locket. Easy come easy go. I dont think she stopped smiling and giggling for the rest of the timevi was there.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Good thing the next item you dug wasnt a chest filled with gold !! Nice gesture and lesson for your son.

 

[tanz 82]

Id be punching my steering wheel on the ride home but would have kept my word ! Nice story

 

[WHADIFIND]

On the other hand...... LOL

If you find yourself missing one of the few gold finds you ever made. And you really, really want it back. The next time you see the young lady, tell her you found the matching other one to the set. AND.....you would LOVE to trade/buy her's back so you could make a gift to your own lil girl, wife, significant other, mother, grandmother..... Whichever works for you. LOL