Mechanic returns wallet to a stranger 11 years later

💵 11 years and 151,000 miles are no match for an act of kindness

One man accidentally recreated a classic sociological experiment with a wallet full of Christmas gifts.

I’m no auto mechanic, but I’m pretty sure your standard Ford Edge doesn’t come with a bonus wallet full of Christmas gift cards. Still, when Minnesota mechanic Chad Volk tried to finish up his repairs, there it was, right where it wasn’t supposed to be. Instead of pocketing the $275 in gift cards and calling it a win, Chad launched a one-man reunion mission.

If that surprises you, you missed the 2019 study with 17,000 planted wallets. The twist? People are more honest than you think. Read the story by Erik Barnes to see Chad’s story and find out which country topped the goodometer.

✅ Only one in four young adults are meeting the traditional milestone markers of adulthood

Can a new generation rewrite the standard without losing what worked?

If Steve Harvey asked you to name the things that make someone an adult, you’d probably run the board. “Show me ‘moving out’!” Ding, number one answer. Graduating college, landing a job, getting hitched, and having kids round out the top five. But that idea of adulthood is as old as The Family Feud itself, and fewer than a quarter of today’s young adults are interested.

The costs of college, kids, and housing have gone off the rails, and the old dream of picket fences and 2.5 smiling kids was mostly myth anyway. Moving on is progress.

But deep in the filthy bathwater of the often repressive cultural norms we fought so hard to toss out… was a baby. Studies show marriage boosts health, parenting brings big happiness, and education still pays off long-term.

As Mark Wales reports, today’s young adults are rewriting the checklist of what it means to be grown. But as they do, science suggests a couple of the old boxes, like building lasting relationships, might still be worth checking.

“Show me ‘connection’!” Ding!

🥤 Man recycles nearly half a million cans for the down payment on a house

The show about nothing was onto something.

Kramer and Newman are two of TV’s most beloved idiots, but when they get it in their heads to get rich recycling cans, they struck gold, Jerry, GOLD! Recycling found cans and bottles earned Australian Damian Gordon a cool $45,000, enough for a down payment on a house. He did it with no schemes and no mail truck, just pure, slow-burn hustle.

In this scrappy piece by Ryan Reed, Damian ends up with house keys, curbside furniture, and a mortgage. How’s he paying that mortgage? We think you CAN figure it out. [Editor’s note: Groan! Come on Greg, do better.]

Read the whole story to learn how Damien came up with the idea and how, depending on where you live, you might be able to do the same.

💬 From the group text…

Speaking of adulting… My friends are all parents, and we’ve all learned what this father is about to. Don’t challenge your kids unless you're ready to pony up!