Inspired by Fran McVeigh's post titled Conundrum, my thoughts immediately went back to a scary moment this summer. I have grown up near big, beautiful cities all over the world. I was enjoying the feeling of "home" with a fantastic week in New York at my son's apartment while he and his wife were on vacation. The highlight was spending time with my granddaughter and her nanny - although I had plenty of time for my own plans. As I returned to the apartment one day, I stopped for take-out lunch at a nearby lunch place. I went to pay, but I had no credit card. In fact, no license, no health care card. no Covid vaccine card - none of the little pieces of plastic to identify me as a human being in the 21st century. My heart raced. Had someone bumped into me? No. Had these things flipped out of my purse when I grabbed my phone? Maybe. How do I even get home? I have no ID. I do not exist. I am invisible. How long does it take to replace this in the middle of New York? Who is going to steal the health care information? I started to fade away and felt like I was standing outside myself watching. I walked back to the apartment, calling the last place I visited - but the line was busy. I put my hand in the pocket of my shorts. And felt something. I pulled out 5 pieces of plastic bound together in a rubber band. Instant relief! The world went from black and white to color. I existed.
acorbin95
Wow! I love how you used Fran as a mentor text. The thoughts racing through your head made my heart start beating, too!
This is an anxiety-inducing moment for sure. Glad you found that little bundle of plastic validation. I am paranoid about losing my passport when traveling. I purchased a TravelOn locking crossbody bag for our recent trip to Thailand.
—Glenda Funk
You build the suspense and let us breathe that deep sigh of relief with you. You also capture that immediate anxiety when we lose access to these small bits of plastic which confirm our place in the world.
Those moments are the best of the worst! I can only imagine the horror you felt with all of your plastic MIA. It's the exhilaration that follows a moment like that, that feels probably better than having the matching numbers on a big jackpot lottery. Glad it all turned out good!
Ah you described your panic perfectly! My anxiety was surly building for you. You took it 1 step farther and reflected on the fact that without these pieces of plastic, we feel invisible. The power of those cards is amazing.. especially that vaccine card