You ever notice how a stormy river can teach you a thing or two about keeping your cards close? Thought I’d share a story that blends a con’s eye for timing with a good old nature lesson.

Picture this: I was in a tiny fishing town, all the locals huddled around a river that’d turned wild after a freak storm. The water roared, cliffs were slick, and the bank was slick with slicked‑up moss. Everyone feared it, but I saw an opportunity – and a chance to help. The mayor wanted a new bridge, but the budget was tight. I’d heard that a storm had buried a cache of old coins in the riverbed, worth a fortune. I staged a “find” – hired a few local kids to dig, told the mayor that the coins would cover the bridge’s cost. The kids found a chest of silver, the mayor got the bridge, and the town’s kids got the coins. I got a thank-you note, a few extra bucks for my “research,” and the river? Still a secret, still a danger, but now a bit less bleak. That's how a stormy river can teach you: keep your eyes on the hidden treasure, but never forget to protect the real flow.