The empty wallet

I think I need to give up trying to do good deeds.  In the last few weeks, every time I’ve tried to do something nice I’ve been slapped in the face.  Both figuratively and literally.  Take the other day for example.  I found a wallet right next to my house.  For a man I’ve never met.  While this made me very uncomfortable given what I’ve been going through lately, I still was going to do my level best to return it.  So, I looked in it for identification.  Out of state license.  No help there even with a quick google search.  A debt card to an out of state bank.  Fine, I call the bank.  Explain the situation.  The woman asks for the debit card number and then my social.  Now hold up here, I’m not giving that info out just to try to get you to call your customer.  When I refuse, she hangs up on me.  Way to protect your customer from someone who has called to say they have their debit card and ain’t them.  Next, a business card to a mental health group.  Well, they can’t legally admit they know the guy.  Okay, I call the number, say I will be there in about an hour with this guy’s wallet and I was just checking to make sure someone would be there.  They say yes.  So off I go on my walk to their office across town.  There was no other option, there wasn’t anything else in the wallet to give a clue as to who this guy was or how to find him.   I took my time, it’s been a while since I’ve had a good walk.  I really needed it.  I get there and the woman at the front desk tell me to wait a sec.  She flips through the wallet and then asks me where the money is.  My first thought was, ‘At the bank?’ but I don’t reply.  Then she demands to know my name and address so she can add that to my phone number when she calls the police to report the theft.  Now the wallet was empty when I found it.  And I found it two steps from my front door which is set back from the road.  It didn’t get there by accident.  I didn’t just walk an hour to deliver a wallet after I’d cleaned it out.  I didn’t bother to reply, I simply turned and left.  Not ten minutes later, my phone rang – the police of course.  After telling him what corner to meet me at (since I clearly wasn’t home yet), I politely answered his questioned about the wallet when he showed up.  And then made a statement about how the woman had breached ethics by admitting the man was a patient of theirs (how else would she know there was supposed to be money in the wallet?).   I was left feeling foolish for bothering to return the wallet.  So, can it be worth it to constantly be giving to others, doing service to others, acting with kindness without thinking when all I get in return is heartache?  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve never wanted thanks or praise.  Yet, I don’t want to be yelled at or accused of things either.  Just let me live my life in peace – knowing I’m doing what’s right and good.  Can I really stop being nice, should everyone simply stop being nice – just look out for themselves?  It breaks my heart to think what this world would be like if we did.  Here I’ve spent my whole life telling others to practice kindness and practicing what I was preaching.  However, I’m having serious doubts.  But no, I can't let ugliness win.  No matter how many times I get slapped.  Even if I’m the only one trying to stop it…