Where did this dollar come from?

I think I'm in big trouble. I was going through the pockets of an old jacket and I found something I can't explain -- a crumpled-up dollar bill. A dollar! My wallet is bare and my bank account is nearly nil. So how come I've got this dollar left?

I've paid my taxes to the IRS and to the state. I've paid my assessment tax, the sales tax, a hospital tax and the gasoline tax. I've also paid a tax to build a bridge at the other end of the county. So where did this dollar come from?

When I pay my lawyer $600, I pay a tax on that. I pay tax on the money I give to the baby sitter, to the real-estate man, and to the person who fills out my income tax form every year. So how come I still have this dollar?

Obviously I've made a mistake somewhere and overlooked some tax. Yet I distinctly remember paying the road tax, the excise tax and the tax to provide more scholarships for kids to go to the university, just so they can tell us how rotten the system is.

And yes, I've paid my taxes for new sewers, for more bombs to keep our country safe, taxes for wheat for India, for another hockey rink and for public transportation. So where did this dollar come from?

I have paid my water tax. And when they charge us an air tax to clean up pollution, I'll pay that too. I've paid taxes for more parks, and for fire protection and law enforcement. I have paid taxes to help the forlorn farmer, a myriad of minorities, along with unmarried mothers and struggling fathers. I pay taxes on the toothpaste I use when I get up in the morning , and I pay taxes on the pillow I lay my head on when the day is done. So how come I've got this dollar left?

I wouldn't go fishing or hunting, own a dog or get married without first paying the tax.

I paid taxes on my car when I bought it, on the license that entitles me to drive it, and on the fuel that makes it run. I will admit that I haven't paid my death tax yet; but eventually I will do that too. So where did this dollar come from?

I have no idea why I have a dollar left in my pocket. Where did it come from? Did someone put it in my pocket to get me in trouble? Is there a tax on finding a dollar like this? I'm not sure. I do know that the government is going to be mighty sore when they find out I've got this dollar!

Dr. Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist pastor from Jackson.