Ok, this was a while ago but it’s a great story that will always stick to me. It was a couple years ago but I never shared this before and to be honest, it was more memorable than when I actually found the ring or any other ring for that matter.
So sometime before in 2016, a few of my friends were hunting down at the beach after some really nasty weather. We were at our favorite spot but it was rough, cold and rainy. Certainly not in our favor but needless to say there was a cut getting exposed and we persevered because we knew something good was coming out that day.
I had my AT Pro with me as I was trying to battle the waves near the shoreline when I had a huge signal. Typically this was just another piece of junk but I wanted to get it out of the way. So I finally scooped it up and when I looked in, there was a huge 12 gram 10K 1966 class ring staring at me. OMG! It always happens when you least expect it.
So I went home, put it away and forgot about it until sometime later I could research it. Long and behold I found the guy on Facebook. He lived pretty far away but I noticed he was part of his class alumni which was from a school not too far from me. Not to mention that they were having their 50th reunion coming up soon and it was being held just 10 minutes from my house. I said to myself, this could be really cool if I just went to it and found him there. So that’s exactly what I did.
I drove to the restaurant that the reunion was being held and put the ring on left hand…it barely fit it was so large but I went ahead on and in the back was a very large room filled with older folks all talking and reminiscing. I knew this was it. As I walked in and stood in the middle of the room, I saw him sitting at a table in the corner with his wife and a few other people. As I approached him, he looked at me a little confused as I asked “Are you Patrick?”. He said “yes I am”.
As I introduced myself and shook his hand, I started to draw attention from the entire table and I said “you don’t know me but I came here today to ask you something. By any chance did you lose a piece of jewelry about 50 years ago?”
All eyes were now on us and I could see his wife was really curious. The lady next to her was confused and asked her, “who is that?” and she shook her head not knowing.
Patrick replied back to me, “Well as a matter of fact, I lost my class ring at the beach.”
I responded promptly back. “Well I happen to be metal detecting at that beach and I found your ring” at the very the same time, I pulled the ring out off my hand and presented it him.
He was in shock! “You gotta be kiddin’ me! I don’t believe it”. Just then I could hear his wife gasp behind him and say “Oh my God”. Everyone at the table started clamoring about.
Patrick immediately stood up and put his ring on and shaked my hand again. I just smiled as he asked me how the hell I found it. As I explained the story, he proceeded to whip out a money clip full of hundred dollars bills. But I casually passed and said, “Its fine, no need and the reward was just seeing you get it back”.
His wife took pictures and he explained how back in 1966, he was with some friends and was playing frisbee when it flew off. A couple years earlier to this day, he told me how he was in town with his wife visiting and he told her the story of how he lost his ring and it was somewhere out there in the water. Little did he know, it was coming back. We talked some more and a guy came and asked how he was doing. He replied, nearly in tears, “Great, I just got my class ring back after 50 years!”
After a little while, we parted ways and he texted me later thanking me again. But one thing for sure, it really felt good to make someone’s day like that and there was no doubt that he will be telling this very story to his friends later.
