My wallet

I don’t remember when I began carrying a wallet, but I remember when I lost it for the first time. It seems like only yesterday.

In fact, it was yesterday.

My wife and I were returning from a barbeque/pool party. I had removed my wallet from my pocket when I changed into my bathing suit. I carefully placed the wallet in the bag which contained our beach towels and dry clothes. It was still in that bag as we drove home, stopping only to drop off a relative.

As I waited in the passenger seat of our vehicle, I decided to use the time to make sure the wallet was still in the bag in the back of the vehicle. I got out and checked. It was still there. For some reason, and don’t ask me to explain it, I thought it wise to remove it, for safe keeping, to the front of the vehicle where I was sitting.

The next morning, when I got ready to go out, I couldn’t find my wallet.

Instant panic.

I searched everywhere, including inside the vehicle and the driveway, with no luck. Nevertheless, I was convinced it had to be somewhere inside my house because I was certain I had it with me when I got home the previous night.

I left the house without my wallet, but confident I would find it upon my return.

That, however, did not stop me from worrying about it all day. I tried to recall what was in my wallet. There were the usual credit cards, driver’s license, library card, supermarket cards, and assorted other documents. I tried to keep the items I carried in my wallet to a minimum in order to reduce the size of the wallet in my pocket. Many years ago I had photocopied all the items I carried in my wallet, but that list was long outdated, even if I could locate it.

More panic set in as I imagined someone pulling up to the pump and using my credit cards to get gas. I’d be maxed out in a matter of minutes.

My wife, knowing of my predicament, had called the relative we dropped off that night and asked her to look in her driveway for the wallet. Sure enough, in hour 7 of the missing wallet, I received word that it had been located in the driveway, a little wet (it had rained overnight) but still intact.

A feeling of relief spread over me.

From now on, I won’t leave home without it.