Panic!

Where’s my phone? I reach into my pocket . . .  no phone. I start to pat all pockets on the fleece vest and pants . . . no phone. I check the outside pocket of my purse . . . no phone. I begin to dig through my purse . . .  no phone. My stomach drops to my heels. THINK!

The phone was connected to the charger, I took it off the charger. It was in my hand. I went into the restaurant to order dinner to take back to the hotel. I talked to the boy at the door, checked out the salad bar, and went to the bar to order my dinner. I got the to go containers and made my salad. Now I reach for my phone and it is not where I expect to find . Where’s my phone?

I take my salad out to the car so I can look for my phone. I look around my seat, no phone. Where is it???

I walk back to the front desk and ask the door greeter if he saw it. No, he didn’t. I ask the bartender where I ordered my dinner. No, he didn’t see it either. What do I do? Aha! The bartender says, ” Let me call your phone, then maybe we will hear the ring.” Great idea! I tell them it is an old phone ring and I will go out to the car and listen to see if it rings.

What did I do with the phone? I am sick to think that I’ve lost it. My mind tumbles through many thoughts and none of them are reassuring.

Yes! I hear it ringing in the car! Relief floods through my body, but I still can’t find it. I return to the restaurant to report that I did hear ringing, so it is somewhere in the car. I get the remainder of my dinner, but I will not leave this parking lot until I find that phone.

I kneel down on the ground (grateful that it is not wet or freezing cold) to check under the car. No phone there (that’s a good thing!). I move the seats. I pull everything out from under the seats (Triscuits? I forgot they were back there.) NO PHONE! I know I heard it, it has to be here. My hands are sliding between narrow openings searching for that rubbery feel of the phone case, all I feel is carpet and leather and frustration!!!

What else can I do? I am feeling better because I heard the ring, but I should have found it by now. My last attempt is to move the driver’s seat a different direction. And there it is!  The panic is over, but I am still unnerved by this experience. I head back to the hotel with my dinner (not that I have an appetite now) and my PHONE! Dinner is cold but I don’t care, I have my PHONE!

All I can figure out is that it slipped out of my hand as I unfastened the seat belt. I didn’t notice it because that is not the hand usually holding the phone.

How silly is it to be so tied to a piece of electronic equipment? I just know, I don’t want to live through this again.