How I Almost Left My Heart In Rio de Janeiro

     A few years ago, Eric Swensen, Senior Editor with W.W. Norton Publishing, called me to send an autographed copy of my book, "Don't Get Mad...Get Even," published by Norton, to Alan Gray. He was the son of L. Patrick Gray, former Director of the FBI under disgraced President Richard Nixon.
     Alan Gray was an attorney in private practice and he offered to exchange an unused round trip airline ticket from New York City to Rio de Janiero on TWA. I sent the autographed book to him and he sent me a voucher for the airline ticket that I was to sign and send back to TWA, which I did.
     I was very excited over this opportunity to visit Brazil for a few days and I brushed up on my Portuguese, with help from a neighbor who had lived in Rio de Janeiro for several years. She warned me to stay close to my hotel, walk around daylight hours and not at night.
     Apparently, robbers were everywhere and could spot a tourist in seconds. They worked as a team of three. One would offer to show you around, speaking broken English, another would accidently bump into you and the third robber grab your wallet on the run. The other two joined up down the road and they split the cash.
     "It happens all the time," she said, adding, "when my husband and I lived there we always walked in public with others as a group. And this procedure discouraged the culprits from approaching any of us. We never really felt safe, always on guard against thieves."
     I had my hotel reservation for three nights in downtown Rio de Janeiro, could speak a few sentences in Portuguese for ordering food, saying "hello, thanks and goodby." Then I waited patiently for TWA to send me the airline ticket.
     A week went by, then another week and a third. I called TWA and they said they had mailed the ticket two weeks ago. Not to me, as requested, but to Alan Gray in error. My call to Gray's office was answered by his secretary. She said he was vacationing in Rio de Janeiro!
     I was very upset over this betrayal. My subsequent bill to Gray for the book was ignored. Nor was there a word of apology. Perhaps I could have gone to Small Claims Court and sued for breach of contract. But my attorney friend, Bob Schwartz, advised me to forget the matter and bite the bullet.
     This is how I almost left my heart in Rio de Janeiro. It's difficult to forgive and forget. Even while I watch two weeks of exciting Olympics on television, with my wallet securely hidden in my rear button down pocket.