THE LEGEND OF BARON VON TRUBE

This is the story of Baron Von Trube - or The Baron, as people liked to call him - a homeless man with a heart of gold. He'd spent several years living on the streets. Yet he always walked proud, with a smile on his face. Sometimes he was kept awake by the loud music and bright lights resonating from the walls of the local taverns. Yet despite his hardships, he always reached out to his fellow men and women with the belief to always give more than you take.

On any given day, you could find The Baron helping out at the various homeless shelters where he himself was often a resident. His presence was felt by all those who entered the shelter. He would even catch the eye of the various administrators. On occasion, they would ask him, “How did you end up here?” The Baron would always smile, and simply respond, "It's a long story... Best that we save that for another time. The patrons and staff were always respectful of The Baron’s wishes, and didn't pry him for more information.

One day a pretty young woman entered the shelter. She saw The Baron feverishly working, making sure everyone had a warm meal in front of them. She stood in the back of the shelter and simply watched the Baron work. After an hour, The Baron spotted her. Curious, he approached her.

“Can I help you ma’am?”

The woman looked directly at The Baron and said, “No. But I may be able to help you.”

The Baron looked confused, as the woman reached into her coat and pulled out a small, white envelope. She then reached for The Baron’s hand. Holding his hand with her left hand, she placed the envelope into The Baron’s grasp with her right hand. While closing his fingers around the envelope, the woman stared into The Baron’s eyes and said, “Take this. And don't let it end with you." As her words still echoed in the Baron’s presence, she whisked herself away, and retreated out the door. The Baron turned to say something to her. But he was too stunned and confused. So he took the envelope and opened it. What was inside confused him even more. It was a lottery ticket. Assuming it was a simple gesture of kindness, he folded the envelope up, put it back into his pocket, and went back to serving the food.

Later that evening, as he walked the streets, a headline in a newspaper box caught his eye. It read, “Largest Lottery Winner Unknown." He bent down to read the article, and discovered that the winning ticket had actually been purchased in town. Then he thought of the ticket in his pocket. Opening up the envelope, he pulled out the purple ticket and glanced at the numbers. There were 10 sets of them. Looking at the newspaper again, he saw the winning numbers were 3, 10, 20, 26, 28 and 35. Scanning his own ticket, on the third row, he had a perfect match!

The Baron’s heart raced. He compared the numbers again. Then he did it a third time. For a brief moment, he thought he was in a dream. All the sounds of the city went unheard, as his mind raced at the magnitude of the situation.

The Baron raced back to the shelter, clutching the envelope with both hands. Upon arriving, he hurried to meet his friend Bob, the administrator of the shelter. After examining the ticket, and agreeing that it was the winner, Bob helped the Baron make the necessary arrangements.

Within a few days, The Baron found himself in front of a media frenzy. The kind, homeless man had become the richest lottery winner in history – a staggering $386,000,000.

Needless to say, shortly thereafter, The Baron was no longer homeless. In fact, he found himself a secluded, run-down, 80-year-old mansion in the countryside – a “fixer-upper” as he liked to say. And there The Baron stayed, living a quiet stress-free life.

But still the press talked about him. They knew the story – the story of the mysterious young woman who gave him the ticket. Her identity remained unknown, despite the best efforts of the media. And by the same token, little to nothing was known about The Baron himself. Who was he? Where had he come from?

The Baron chose not to lead the posh lifestyle that his fortunes could afford. Instead he lived a modest life in his big old house. He was content. But he longed for something more. He remembered the words of the young woman. “Don't let it end with you.

"What did she mean? What was he to do? And as he looked around his mansion, it all became abundantly clear. “Don’t let it end.” So he didn’t. Anonymously, he sent $5,000,000 to the shelter he once toiled and slept at. At Christmastime, he would anonymously slip $1000.00 gold coins into the charity boxes. The Baron dedicated his life to giving away money. When he was satisfied that he had given to all of the charities, he got even more creative. He created games. He created challenges. He began to don a top hat and travel the country. While at a small diner, he quizzed his waitress. “Give me the names of the first five presidents of the United States.” Not knowing his intentions, she rattled off the names of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. When she came back to clean up his table, she found a $500.00 tip. She never got his name. But in an instant, a legend was born in that diner. Who was that mysterious man in the top hat?

The Baron enjoyed his travels. He was always giving money away to local charities he’d find in the small towns he ventured in and out of. He enjoyed his eccentric lifestyle of giving his fortunes away to those who could answer his various trivia. He amazed strangers with his vast knowledge. And he left people with smiles on their faces. And he continued on.

Today The Baron can still be found wandering the country, leaving a trail of money behind to those in need, and to those who win his games. Yet somehow no one ever catches a clear glimpse of the man, as his top hat is always tilted, shielding his eyes. Perhaps one day, you will meet The Baron too. It could change your life.

Then what will you do?

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