Am I a Loser?

I don’t like to think of myself as a loser, but the truth is I do lose things.  Car keys being at the top of the list.  I have lost my purse.  I have lost important papers.  I have even been known to lose the car, especially in large parking lots.

I haven’t lost any of the children, at least not for an extended period of time, and I haven’t lost anything that is nailed down or too heavy to move.   At least my Grand Piano is safe, and fortunately also my bed.  I’d hate to be without either of those things.

For my birthday the kids gave me a Kindle Fire.  This was a delightful and cherished gift.  I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more, yet I was unwilling to pay the price. 

Unfortunately I had only had the Fire for a few weeks when it disappeared.  I had taken it on a trip, and it didn’t come home with me.  I was heartsick.  Where could I have left it?  I tried everything.  I called my traveling companions, and the places we had stayed.

Eventually, I found my kindle in the bottom of my tote bag.  I had been using the bag—had unpacked and repacked it a number of times.  The kindle is small and lightweight and very black.  The inside of my tote bag is black—very black.  It was the perfect hiding place.

The next time I went on a trip, I packed my kindle in my suitcase.  I wasn’t about to make that mistake again.  When I unpacked after the trip, I was pleased to find my kindle there.  I decided to find a good place to keep it, so I would never lose it again.

That was the last time I saw my Kindle.  I was busy with a writer’s conference for about a week, so I didn’t miss it right away.  After the conference, though, I realized I hadn’t a clue where I had put my kindle.  Did I find a good spot for it?  I wasn’t sure.

This time I didn't panic, because I knew it was somewhere in my house—probably in my bedroom since that was where I had last seen it.  I cleaned out all of my drawers, several times.  I organized and reorganized my book shelves.  I dumped every book on the floor and reshelved them.

It has been over two months since then, and I have started saving for a new Fire.  Today, I started unpacking a suitcase that my granddaughter has been using.  She has been using it for a little over two months.  It has a black interior.  In the bottom of that very black suitcase was a very black kindle fire.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

It’s going to be a great day.  First item on my “to do” list: Buy a cover for my Fire.  Something colorful.  Something bright. Anything but black.

It’s entirely possible that I’m a loser, but today I’m okay with it. 

Linda Garner