Our dad used to pat his pockets when he got up to go somewhere. It was to check for his keys and wallet. Make sure both were there. Then, it was okay to get up and go wherever he was headed.
Pretty simple process for a simpler time. Our lives have ratcheted up in intensity since them.
First came the ubiquitous smart phone, originally the cell phone. As the device grew in popularity, it of course started to become more of a necessity. When you left the house, you had to pat your pockets for your keys, wallet AND cell phone. As a woman, you checked your purse to see if they were all there before leaving the house.
And now we have the next “must have” item in our daily arsenal. One more thing to remember before you work out the door: The face mask.
Gotta have it. Don’t forget it. Pat your pockets before you leave to get in your car. Check your purse to make sure it’s in there.
This weekend, I watched a guy with no mask on almost enter our local supermarket. You suddenly saw him stop like he’d been hit by a stun gun. He spun around quickly and stalked back to his car with an angry look on his face. He’d forgotten his mask. I smiled amusedly as I placed mine in my face.
It’s easy to forget. What we put in our pockets or purse seem like simple things, daily reminders, and most of the time there are no issues. But all of us forget at times, and then become inconvenienced.
My favorite examples are of a close friend of mine forgetting (TWICE) his golf clubs when he played golf with me. The first time we got to the course early enough where he was able to drive maniacally home and back to get to the course on time and slice his stressed out first drive 130 yards off course.
The second time, he’d driven over an hour to the course and was unable to go home to retrieve them, so we alternated using my clubs. Typically, he keeps his club in his car, so his forgetfulness can be explained and understood. He thought they’d be in his trunk because that’s where he normally kept them, but he hadn’t checked to confirm before leaving home.
I guess that’s the lesson these days when you’re leaving the home front or your job. Pat your pockets or check through your purse as a confirmation process. Keys, wallet, smart phone, face mask. Okay, good to go.
It’s a bit more involved and until this become a routine, it’s easy to forget or overlook one item or another. Over time, we’ll get used to it.
Then we’ll reach the next stage of life where you won’t have to wear a mask, or it will become optional. Then your daily routine gets dicey.
Regardless of how the world turns next, we can count on something else coming along that requires us to pat our pockets to make sure we have everything before we step into the world for the day. My future-looking periscope hasn’t identified what that will be, but you can count on something new. It’s only a matter of time. Until then, remember you have
Pretty simple process for a simpler time. Our lives have ratcheted up in intensity since them.
First came the ubiquitous smart phone, originally the cell phone. As the device grew in popularity, it of course started to become more of a necessity. When you left the house, you had to pat your pockets for your keys, wallet AND cell phone. As a woman, you checked your purse to see if they were all there before leaving the house.
And now we have the next “must have” item in our daily arsenal. One more thing to remember before you work out the door: The face mask.
Gotta have it. Don’t forget it. Pat your pockets before you leave to get in your car. Check your purse to make sure it’s in there.
This weekend, I watched a guy with no mask on almost enter our local supermarket. You suddenly saw him stop like he’d been hit by a stun gun. He spun around quickly and stalked back to his car with an angry look on his face. He’d forgotten his mask. I smiled amusedly as I placed mine in my face.
It’s easy to forget. What we put in our pockets or purse seem like simple things, daily reminders, and most of the time there are no issues. But all of us forget at times, and then become inconvenienced.
My favorite examples are of a close friend of mine forgetting (TWICE) his golf clubs when he played golf with me. The first time we got to the course early enough where he was able to drive maniacally home and back to get to the course on time and slice his stressed out first drive 130 yards off course.
The second time, he’d driven over an hour to the course and was unable to go home to retrieve them, so we alternated using my clubs. Typically, he keeps his club in his car, so his forgetfulness can be explained and understood. He thought they’d be in his trunk because that’s where he normally kept them, but he hadn’t checked to confirm before leaving home.
I guess that’s the lesson these days when you’re leaving the home front or your job. Pat your pockets or check through your purse as a confirmation process. Keys, wallet, smart phone, face mask. Okay, good to go.
It’s a bit more involved and until this become a routine, it’s easy to forget or overlook one item or another. Over time, we’ll get used to it.
Then we’ll reach the next stage of life where you won’t have to wear a mask, or it will become optional. Then your daily routine gets dicey.
Regardless of how the world turns next, we can count on something else coming along that requires us to pat our pockets to make sure we have everything before we step into the world for the day. My future-looking periscope hasn’t identified what that will be, but you can count on something new. It’s only a matter of time. Until then, remember you have