Phone Adventures

Phone Adventures--

When I think about yesterday, I laugh.  Bet you can relate.

The day started out well.  I got up early so the flower baskets could be watered before I left for a gathering.  Since there are many baskets, it takes a bit of time to give them all some attention.  I usually speak to them, wishing them a good morning and pleasant day.  Can't leave any out of the morning greetings just in case they communicate with one another.  Go ahead--laugh.

Following all the outside work, it was time to get ready for the rest of the day.  That went well until I began to load the car with my new books for delivery.  This seems so silly, but at the time it was a challenge.  I had written the names and amounts of books on a piece of paper.  That paper told me how many, who and where.  Now that I needed it, where was it? Many minutes wasted searching my desk for it.  That should tell you something about the condition of my desk.

After locating the paper, I glanced at the clock.  Time was running out for me.  Grabbing books, zip lock bags, and the paper I headed out the door.  As usual, I forgot my phone.  I had set the house alarm.  It now had to be disarmed so I could search for the phone.  Found it.  All is well, but the minutes were clicking by.

The incoming text message ding sounded.  One  more stop in the day.

The drive into town was just what I needed.  A little peace and quiet before the meeting.  Time to think about what the day had been so far.  It was during the drive that I noticed my phone was not in my purse.  It was not on the seat.  It was not in the cup holder.  This was not a good thing.  I feel naked without that thing.  Should I turn around on the interstate and head back to the house?  My good sense told me that I could survive one day without it so I continued on my way.

Since it was a nice morning, I decided to park a distance from my meeting.  The walk was very pleasant.  I purchased a latte, sat down in the lobby and waited for my friend to arrive.  While I waited, I sipped on the coffee and read a little from my book.  That was interesting.  I am not sure one should ever read what they have written.  The mind begins to offer how it could have been done much better.  Oh well.  Too late for that.

When she arrived, I gave her a copy of my book.  She is the one who did the formatting for it.  What a great job she did.  She laid her leather folder on the table where my coffee was setting.  I guess by now you see where this is going.  Yes, I knocked the coffee over, and it quickly moved to the corner of her binder, finding its way into any openings. Ugh!  We got that under control.  Was this the way the entire day was headed?

We spent a little time planning the next venture and then parted ways.  All the while my mind had been replaying my moments before leaving the house.  Exactly where did I last see my phone?

It was now time to deliver the books.  I was driving along, minding my own business, when the car in front of me threw on the brakes.  I did the same as did the car behind me.  I have been rear-ended twice so I am very familiar with how that looks and sounds.  I missed her bumper by half an inch.  I hate the sound tires make when the brakes are applied quickly.  During that moment, my phone signaled an incoming text.  The phone was in the car.  Hooray.  But where?

There was a driveway to a park close by so I drove in, parked the car and got out.  I was going to find that thing if it took all day.  Then I remembered that when I got in the car earlier that morning, I threw my purse on the seat beside me.  It fell over.  Everything would have been great had I zipped it.  That is something I need to learn to do.  Because it was not zipped, the phone slid out along with my lipstick, pens, papers.  You name it. I searched the back seat, the side pockets, between the seats.  When I slid the passenger seat as far forward as I could, there it was. On the floor. A huge sigh of relief washed over me.  Really?  It is just a phone.  When did it gain such control over my mood and my day?  Time to see who sent the text.  Thank goodness she did.  I might never have found that blasted thing.  Last summer I was joining my husband at the lake for an outing.  I called and called him.  It always went to voicemail.  When I arrived at the lake, I asked him why he had not answered his phone.  His reply was to point to the water.  Somewhere on the bottom was his phone.  This modern life is not always as easy as marketers would have us think.

Then I remembered that last summer we took food to the lake.  Family was joining us for some boating time.  We took chips and sandwiches along.  The day was perfect.  After we finished boating, we loaded the leftover food into our truck and drove home.  At home I put all the opened bags of chips in the cabinet for another time.  It was about that time that I realized my phone was missing.

We searched the truck.  No phone.  We drove back to the lake which is about forty-five minutes from our house.  We searched the place around where the truck was parked.  No phone. We searched the boat.  No phone.  We talked with the people who run the marina and gave them our house number.  We asked them to call if anyone turned in a phone.  And then we left for the ride home.  All the way back, I tried to remember the last time I saw my phone.

Later that night we decided to have chips and dip as we watched tv.  When I opened a bag of chips, my phone slid out.  Yes, it slid out.  How in the world did it get in the bag of chips?  After all the traveling and worrying, there it was in my closet resting among the chips.  Relief.  When did it become so important?  It is important  because it is my contact with people.

I made the rounds delivering books.  Had a nice visit with a friend then headed home.  As I drove, I thought about how small things that interrupt our day have the ability to put our noses out of joint.  Those small things that mean nothing irritate us so much.  We feel agitated.  We are unable to remember that the day started out well. As I thought about that, I thought that challenges are little bumps in our days that we should expect.  By expecting them, we give them a moment but not the entire day.  That is important.

I think it is time to wear that thing around my neck.