#9 -- The Pisa Miracle -- The Hooker with a Heart of Gold

A friend of mine had told me that there were a lot of prostitutes in Pisa on the road to the leaning tower. I had also been warned about being robbed in Italy.

I have never been what you would call a "ladies man." So with the above information in mind, I knew that when I was approached by three women a short distance from the leaning tower of Pisa, who put their hands all over me, it wasn't because of my looks. I was afraid of being robbed.

I shouted for them to leave, and eventually they started moving away from me. I checked my pockets -- my wallet was missing! I started yelling at them, and running after them. And one of them handed my wallet back to me!

I checked -- I didn't know exactly how much money had been in my wallet, but there was enough left that a quick review of what I had spent was at least close to that -- I later made it add up. No credit cards were missing. Everything of value was still there.

I wanted to go up to the woman who handed me the wallet back and tell her she obviously was new at this pickpocketing thing!

In all seriousness, though, it's one of those moments that I'll remember forever. Like #10, I could feel embarrassed and stupid, but I don't. I look back on that moment with humor, and love for the moment. I even have some love for the fellow human being that was the woman who handed my wallet back to me. She obviously was no theif. Was she a prostitute? If so, she was the classic "hooker with a heart of gold." She had my financial life in her hands, and could have gotten away with it. Instead, she gave it back to me intact.

Maybe this is romanticizing the moment. If so, that, too, is a miracle for someone like myself, who, a few short years ago -- or is it months -- was so filled with resentment that a moment like this would be eating away at me. Instead, I laugh and smile warmly -- again, I experienced something new, lived to tell about it, and can even see the humor in it. Very miraculous indeed! I wish nothing but the best for the young woman!