A Very Close Call

I had a couple of farewells with friends today. The second one was a potluck, so I needed to go to the store and get something. I was in Falls Church, so I went to the Safeway there. Max was with me. I had to use the bathroom. Max had just woken up from a nap and was being all cute and silly and we ended up laughing out loud in the bathroom. I must have been distracted. We went back into the store and went about our business. About 15 minutes later I realized that my purse was missing. Oh.My.Stars! I had forgotten it in the bathroom. I was gasping for air. I was having a major panic attack. I ran back to the bathroom. No purse! I was  practically in tears and pulling my hair out because without that purse I was a nobody in a whole lot of doodo0.

Why? Because as luck would have it, I had just gone to the ATM and gotten quite a lot of cash for my trip back to India. My driver’s license, social security card, Max’s and my regular and diplomatic passports with our precious Indian visas in them, my phone, my Kindle and the keys to my apartment were also in that missing purse. The worst feeling ever!!!

I don’t know how I got myself to the Customer Service desk but there I was telling the lady at the counter that I left my purse in the bathroom but it wasn’t there anymore. “You sure did,” she said nonchalantly and gave me back my purse with absolutely everything in it, after confirming my identity. I just sat there for a few seconds blinking stupidly. I wasn’t dreaming. That was indeed my purse and nothing was missing. I was so happy, I was speechless!  I did ultimately thank the woman. Profusely!

Now, of course, I know better than that and should have been paying attention. I am usually pretty good about stuff like that. Not this time apparently, so that was my wake up call.  Hopefully, this will be a reminder for you as well to be more alert and aware and not do what I did.

But I was also thinking that perhaps not all hope is lost. For humanity, that is. Because the person who found my purse didn’t have to turn it in. They could have totally taken advantage of my stupidity airheadedness and made me pay for it through my nose. Because think about it. It took me a good two weeks to get just my diplomatic passport and visa. There was no way I was going to depart for India on time, had that person not decided to do the right thing. Hell, there was no easy way for me to prove who I was under the circumstances or do pretty much anything quickly. Needless to say, I am eternally grateful to that person. Whoever you are, you awesome stranger person, you are my hero and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!