Portrait of the tourist as a broke man. (via)
I don't really like it when people say, "No good deed goes unpunished." I think it's both defeatist and a lazy way to look at the circumstances of life. That's why I won't be making any reference to the phrase as I recount this story of an American tourist who had all of his possessions stolen from him after jumping into the River Liffey to rescue a drowning Dubliner. You have my word on it.
Granted, if I were ever going to use that old adage concerning good deeds and unjust punishment, I can't imagine a better scenario for it. I mean, the idea of a trained lifeguard from Nebraska leaving all his money and valuables on a river bank so that he can jump into the dirty, filthy water that courses through a city he had only just entered a few hours earlier would certainly constitute a 'good deed.' Just as the notion of having his wallet and smartphone taken by some shameless opportunistic douchebag while he was busy splashing around saving a man's life would easily absolve him from any claims of having his actions 'unpunished.'
Sure, it's kind of hard to focus on the positive when when you learn that even though somebody attempted to chase the thief down, he still somehow managed to get away with the hero's possessions. And, yeah, it's a bit gut-wrenching to hear the robbery victim explain what it was like climbing out of that river after pulling a human being from the clutches of eternity: "I'm standing there in my underwear, just soaking wet, and I literally have nothing now." But that's no reason to descend into dispirited aphorisms like the one I've promised not to dwell on.
Instead, I'll just warn you that if you're going to try doing something good in this world, you should expect some sort of negative retribution for your efforts. That's all.
(by Dennis DiClaudio)