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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Lost and Found

Lost. The email begins with a tone of curiosity. “I can’t find my iPod -- any idea where it is?” A more frantic one more than an hour later, and finally after another hour has passed, “I’ve torn this place apart! Can’t find it anywhere!” I can’t do much. Even the magic of our digital world does not allow me to join in the search for missing items at home when I am at work. I can suggest, “Try here” or “Have you looked there?” Eventually, I look in my own purse and see the darn thing in he front pocket. Why? How? Who knows , but I least I can send an email to my husband-in-distress and let him know the item has been found.



Lost and Found. The boys brought home a notice from school stating their lost-and-found would be emptied at the end of each month and that staff would no longer be checking the lost and found items for names match the up with children. The process, apparently, has become too unwieldy. Reluctantly-worn sweaters, right mittens, and the odd pair of pants -- little owners must reclaim or they will be offered to the charity of choice.

Just this week: book, game, key, focus, confidence, fear, patience. All lost and found.

Sometimes, I blame it all on too much stuff. We have too much and we lose it because we cannot possibly manage it all. Something is always left behind. Sometimes, I think that loss is good. It makes us appreciate what we have and reminds us that all ownership is temporary. Losing something has inspired me to think: What will I do without it? How will I be changed by its absence?

Every once in a while, I lose my voice. Not laryngitis, but my words. I don’t have time, I don’t have ideas, I don’t have the energy it takes to stir something up inside myself, pull it out of my body and put it onto the page. But then, I do. And it is then -- now -- I am found.

6 comments:

elsie said...

You are right, sometimes I think we have too much stuff and it is a chore to keep up with it.
You did a very nice job of finding your voice in this piece. Looking forward to more of your voice this month.

Cathy said...

LOVED your slice. Made me go beyond our literal lost and found at school into how loss can be good. Definitely a great example for me to share with my students about how my thinking changed as I read your piece.

Excited to read more!

Deb Day said...

I love this post!! The words, the thoughts, the depth. Wow---can't wait to read more from you.

DHTMaster said...

I'm getting married in a few months. I've been considering what I will want to keep and throw away before I get married. In a sense my new bride and I will have so little. Yet, I still somehow have so much junk! Your post reminded me that I needed to go and clean out my file box!

Tam said...

I guess this is what SOLS is all about--reminding us it's there, we just have to look for it. You are finding "it" quite nicely--keep it up!

Anonymous said...

The flow of your slice wrapped nicely with your ending. I love it. It feels like you are talking to me and it definitely has me thinking.:) MaryHelen