A Man on the Verge of a Breakdown

During a dinner with a doctor of laws who had studied in Germany, he mentioned that there was a film called "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" that I simply had to see. Aside from the fact that it was directed by Pedro Almodóvar, the movie held profound personal significance for him.

Years ago, while serving in the military in Taitung, he went to an MTV parlor during his leave to watch "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". Just as the female protagonist's emotions were gradually shifting and pushing her toward the brink of a breakdown as she dealt with the trivialities of daily life, he noticed that the air conditioning in his private screening booth had broken down and requested to switch rooms.

Less than five minutes after moving to the next booth, he realized that while the female protagonist hadn't broken down yet, he was about to—because his wallet had vanished! Inside the wallet, besides 5,000 NT dollars, was something far more important: his military supply card.

Recalling that he must have left the wallet in his original booth, he rushed back next door, only to find it already occupied. He knocked on the door to find two young guys watching adult videos, and his heart sank. Convinced he would never see his wallet again, he told the waiter and the two young men that he didn't care about the 5,000 NT dollars; he just wanted his supply card back. No one paid him any mind.

To make matters worse, he had only 15 NT dollars left to his name. Without his supply card, he even struggled to afford a bus ride, so he had to turn to a friend for help. Although he managed to return to his unit with his friend's assistance, his misery was far from over.

Because he lacked his supply card, he was unable to collect his severance pay of six to seven thousand NT dollars. As he mourned his fate of losing over 10,000 NT dollars because of a single movie, and boarded the train to complete his discharge and return home, he received an official notice stating that someone had lost their supply card and was sentenced to two weeks of confinement. Seeing the official document, he was dumbfounded. He made a split-second decision and hopped on the train home immediately—he was already discharged, who was going to lock him up in confinement!

Therefore, when he learned that the film was being re-released, he felt he simply had to watch the second half of the movie where the female protagonist's breakdown unfolds, because in reality, the film had already turned him into a man on the verge of a breakdown.

In truth, what pushed him to the brink wasn't the movie, but the person who picked up his wallet.

Under the law, a finder of lost property must notify the owner. If the owner is unknown, the finder must submit the item to a police agency for public announcement and claiming. If no one claims the property within six months, it belongs to the finder. If someone claims it within this period, the finder may request up to three-tenths of its value as a reward from the owner.

If the finder fails to follow the claiming procedure and instead gives in to greed, keeping the property for themselves, they will commit the criminal offense of embezzlement of lost property under the Criminal Code. Therefore, if you find lost items, please handle them according to the aforementioned procedure so as not to drive others to a breakdown. The law also affirms that good deeds are rewarded!

※ Published in: 2004-03-16 / United Daily News / E6 / Kaleidoscope