Lost - Season 57
Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 08:24AM Consolation
Losing one glove
is certainly painful,
but nothing
compared to the pain
of losing one,
throwing the other away,
and finding the first one again. Piet Hein
Mary Ann Bell at For Whom the Bell Tolls, laments her tendency to lose stuff (St Anthony Where Are You?) Her plight is one with whom many of us can identify at one level or another, especially as the specter of senile dementia looms nearer. The LWW just "lost" a pricey pair of relatively new prescription sunglasses. About this time last year, I left a shaving kit and a new remote clicker some place in the same week.
While I by no means have a perfect track record for not losing things, I've really forced myself into a "place for everything, everything in its place" mentality.* It is routine that allows me to find most things, most of the time. I know this is not exactly a revolutionary theory, but it's surprising to me just how many people have never figured it out.
With as much traveling as I do with computers, cables, remotes, etc., I am almost superstitious about putting things in their own place in my computer bag - the same thing in the same pocket EVERY TIME**. In fact I not only buy new computer bags with lots 'o pockets, but with pockets in the same places as the bag I'm replacing. So, the car keys and parking slip ALWAYS go in this pocket. The remote control ALWAYS goes in this pocket. My passport ALWAYS goes in this pocket. You get the drift. Works OK about 99% of the time.
The same principle works great for desk/office organization, backpacking trips, and workshops. The 10 seconds it takes to put something back in its regular place saves hours in searching for the damn thing later.
What tricks work for you to keep things from becoming lost? Inquiring Aging minds want to know...
* I credit my preference for orderliness to having had a bedroom about the size of a walk-in closet in today's homes. With such a small room, anything out of place made the whole room a mess.
** I also also buy duplicate power plugs, VGA adaptors, etc. so I can leave one set in my bag, one on my desk and have one at home.
Reader Comments (2)
My 6yr old runs through my list as I'm kissing her goodbye in the morning, "Wallet? Phone? Keys? Take your pill?" and such.
I'll miss it when she stops!
Hi Ninja,
You make me wish my grandsons were closer!
Great story. Thanks,
Doug
Oh, doubt she will stop!