As I am walking away from the car, into Sam’s, I touch my jacket pocket to confirm the presence of my phone. I touch nothing. There is no phone in my pocket. Panic starts to rise. I’ve been here before. Just as quickly the panic subsides. I’ve been no where else. Calmly I walked back to the car to see if it was in the door handle well or if it had fallen out next to my seat. A quick check of the front seat and door confirmed I must have left it at home.
I think back to what I was doing before leaving home. I must have left it on the coffee table when I looked up the phone number of a pizza place. Dumb move, I think to myself. I had several errands, I planned to call in a pizza so I could take it home for lunch when the said errands were complete. Resolutely I resigned myself to sitting and waiting for the pizza instead of breezing in to pick it up.
I trudged into Sam’s to pick up the few items on my list while weighing in my mind do I run home quickly to fetch my phone or just live the old fashioned out-of-touch life for the morning? Back and forth the thoughts volleyed like the ball in a tennis match. No, that’s silly, don’t go home. Yes, go home, what if someone calls? No, you can go an hour without the phone. As I walked out, I’d made the decision . . . I’d run home and drop the Sam’s items off and pick up my phone.
I opened the back door to set my granola and green beans down when I spot my phone lying on the floor behind the driver’s seat. Relief floods through my body as I quickly claim my phone and drop it into my purse, not my pocket this time. No need to return home. The agenda of the day was back on track. FYI: the pizza was delicious! 🙂
elsie tries writing 
Yes, we’ve all been there. We are so connected to the point of distress. Now it’s check for keys, purse, and the almighty phone. That’s why I want a smart phone/watch some day. I love watches for my fashion statements. But I still forget earrings–I guess there’s no escape after all.
You are such a wonderful writer!
Thanks Loralee!
Something always seems to be missing in my life – keys, books, phone. In fact, I could even say it’s unusual to have a day when I’m not looking for something.
Oh, what would we do without our phones! I do that all the time — is it lost? Misplaced? Stolen? No, just sitting here right beside me, underneath the pile of papers to grade, or under my book I’m not reading because I’m searching for my phone! LOL I’m glad you liked the pizza!
When that happens to me I keep telling myself that before cell phones I was quite capable to go to the store and run errands without one. But…like you…that thought keeps nagging at me….like I had left part of me at home. I am so glad you found it so that you would not have to go home…only to find it in the car…and thank goodness the pizza was delicious.
I hate it when this happens to me! I am so glad you found your phone and you were able to get back on track with your day and not have to wait for your pizza. 🙂 Maybe I should get you one of those phone cases that allows you to wear your phone around your neck like a piece of jewelry The ones I have seen come with lots of bling!
Isn’t it funny that we did survive once without feeling so connected with the phone? We really did. Yet, the second we don’t have our phone, panic begins to settle it. I left my phone charging on the counter yesterday when we met my parents out for breakfast. I survived, but all those questions of what if someone called? What if I missed a text? What if …. But really, life would go on and somethings would wait. I’m glad you found your phone before you went searching for it at your house! There could have been more panic!! 🙂
I can easily remember when I not only didn’t have a cell phone but I didn’t feel like I needed one. How different our world has become in just a short time. I’m lost without my phone! We recently did a no technology day at our house for March is reading month. It didn’t bother me much to be without the computer, ipad or tv, but being without my phone!? Yikes! We are close, to say the least.
Imagine going home and searching there in vain. Glad that you found your phone and saved yourself more unnecessary worry.
I feel lost without my phone, too! Your post gave me an idea for one of my slices, about something I recently lost. Thanks for helping me out…again!
I remind myself that for the most part things will be fine without my phone. We are so used to having that instant access. It is such a part of our daily existence. It is awkward to not have it so I am glad you discovered where yours landed.
Truth is, I love it when I forget my phone at home – being out of touch with the world for just a bit is rather refreshing, really.
I had a similar experience yesterday when out and about doing errands. It came time for me to call my daughter to tell her she could expect me to pick her up at 2 o’clock but I could not find my phone. I remembered I had moved it to my walking minibag. What to do? Instead of calling her, I walked through town, went into the bookstore where she works, and had a lovely conversation with her workmates. This was much better than calling her…. P. S. I still have a flip phone, too, because I am not yet willing to be so dependent on my phone! Your short narrative really moves us through your experience deftly and with your usual irony1
Glad you found your phone and your day resumed on track. I don’t rely on my phone at all. It’s never on, just an old flip phone with no features. I can’t even text!
You know your reader has a problem when she hyperventilates reading your post! Glad you had the phone all along.
The clock in my car doesn’t work and I don’t wear a watch, so I rely on my phone to know the time. I feel really lost when I forget my phone.
So funny. This reminds me of the signs we have in the adult bathrooms at school: Did you forget your phone!? We all are so attached. Glad you didn’t have to go home!
This scenario happens to me quite often. Being without the phone makes me anxious. In my lifetime it’s a relatively new on-demand connection but I’ve grown dependent.
So glad you found your phone and didn’t have to go home. Isn’t it amazing how dependent we have become on our phones.
I have had the same thing happen and I feel so lost on those occasions.
This sounds sooooo much like me. I live in a constant state of “finding.” I really admire people who live their lives in a more organized fashion, but I have pretty much resigned myself to this being who I am. Yikes!
And to think we used to have the phone attached the wall and used a dial. How did we do it “way back when”?
It’s nice when things get back on-track and you find what you’re looking for, isn’t it? The most popular place for me to lose my phone is in my coat or bathrobe pocket. I misplace it there CONSTANTLY!