I Left My Heart In Rome
June 11, 2006
By: Sellers S. Crain, Jr.
Most of our older folks will remember the song made popular by Tony Bennett I Left My Heart In San Francisco. Well, I didn't leave my heart in Rome actually, but I did leave my wallet there. Let me explain what happened.
It was helpful to me after sharing with you on Sunday about my experience of having my pocket picked that so many of you had already experienced the same thing in other nations of the world. It made me feel a little less dumb and alone. One thing this experience taught me is that it can happen to anyone. I had heard all the warnings, even Mike Pope, our Educational Director, warned me about it before I left. Dino Tzenatos, the Greek preacher we support warned me before we left Athens, and even our Roman cab driver who drove us from the airport warned us repeatedly. I thought I was taking all the proper precautions. I had my wallet in my front pocket. I continually put my hand in my pocket to be sure it was still there. It was there moments before we exited the subway, and the instant I was off the train and the door closed I felt in my pocket to find it gone.
How did it happen without me even knowing it? First of all, we were crammed in the subway car like sardines. Second, going into the car there was pushing and shoving. Common courtesy was gone. It was every man or woman for themselves. Third, getting off the train was even worse. If you had been pushed down to the floor in the melee that took place when those doors opened, you'd have been trampled to death. I was concerned about Sue who was still having considerable difficulty walking. Anyway, one minute it was there, and the next, it was gone.
One of the first questions I have been asked when I share this story is "How much money did you lose?" The best way to put it is that I lost $100 American, or about 75 Euros, which is the currency used by Italy, and most European nations. I did have two credit cards in my wallet and a card with my bank account numbers on it. We immediately went to the police station and filed a report. We tried to borrow a phone to make calls to the credit card companies and to our bank, but we were unable to do that. We also could not operate the public telephones and could not get anyone to help us do it. As soon as we returned to our hotel that evening, I managed to contact the credit card companies and cancelled my cards, and I got in contact with the bank and put a hold on my bank accounts. As of this date, there had been no activity on either the credit cards or the bank accounts. So basically it appears my wallet was taken only by common thieves who got me for $100. I hope that is the end of that story.
Why did I say there is a sense in which I left my heart in Rome in addition to my wallet? It may not be what you are thinking. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). That's the reason I left a part of my heart in Rome. No, it wasn't the money, or the credit cards or the bank account numbers, it was something far more precious to me; my family pictures, and a few other personal mementoes. I had Sue's graduation picture from nursing school, my daughter Carla's graduation picture from Beech High School with the sweet note she wrote on the back to me, my other two children's family pictures, and my four granddaughters most recent school pictures. OK, so most of the pictures can be replaced, but those particular ones can never be replaced. They are gone forever perhaps rotting on some Rome trash heap. Any replacements cannot take their place. Do you understand what I mean? Some things are far more important that money and the things it will buy. Treasure them. They too may be here today and gone tomorrow.
Brotherly,
Sellers
