Lost and found

On our way to Port A this past week we stopped for a break at the Dairy Queen in Kenedy. Back on the road, but only a few miles later, I realized that I did not have my wallet. At the DQ, I was waiting in line to order, then handed that chore (and my wallet) off to Barb while I visited the restroom. When I returned, in the business of handling drinks, Blizzards, etc., my wallet did not get put back where it belonged.

I am in the habit of checking my wallet when I leave a public place, but did not at the DQ. That habit may be, however, why I was only a few miles down the road when I realized my loss. Panic and dread set in (along with a few "Are you sure you handed it back to me?" accusations). Stop the car, check the floor board and seat. No wallet.

U-turn and a hasty retreat back to the DQ. I went straight to the counter to inquire and Barb went straight to our previous seats. She saw a wallet on the table and asked the couple sitting there if they had found it. I was still at the counter when I heard the man call, "Are you Mr. Anderson?" There was no way he would know that without having found the wallet and I can't tell you how happy I was to hear that question. I joyfully reclaimed that which was lost and learned that this nice couple (even if they were both wearing Aggie tee shirts) had already called my "In case of emergency" phone number - which was Rob's home phone number, by the way - lot of good that would have done me - to start the process of returning the wallet.

I write this with some trepidation, but I have never, ever lost my wallet. Really lost it. Or my keys. Or anything else important. I did leave a credit card at Chuy's once (distracted while visiting with one of our waitstaff friends, no doubt) but a quick phone call handled that and I picked it up the next day. That is not to say I don't worry about doing that. When we travel abroad, I take photocopies of the cards we are carrying to have the emergency information. We split the cards and cash among us, and we have photocopies of passports. Knock on wood, we have never needed those copies.

A friend of ours misplaced her passport while we were on a medical mission trip to El Salvador; it was disturbing to leave her behind when we returned, even though there was someone there who could help her get an emergency passport. Two days later she got home - and found her original passport. I spent some time canceling a bunch of credit cards for one of our children traveling abroad after an early morning phone call (these too, were found later). Was it my turn?

I fretted a good bit (OK, I panicked) last week as we rushed back to Kenedy, wondering about how we were going to get cards canceled - cards that we needed for this trip. What about the drivers license, Medicare cards, identity theft? Cash? But we were fortunate; I missed the wallet before reaching for it at the Condo check-in and the couple who found it had not moved on before we got back to the DQ. Plus, they were honest folks intent on returning it intact..

Quite an adrenalin rush, all in all. You know, I may just stay home from now on. Oh, wait. I do stay home. Now I know why.