Rocky Start to My Morning...
November 2, 2006
Okay, I have a bit of a problem. Well, it’s not really a problem now but just the thought of it bothers me. I’m trying not to think too much
about it but the issue keeps popping into my mind…
This morning I went to breakfast only bringing my book with me. It was still pretty early and I knew I would come back to my room
afterwards before heading out for the day. When I was done with breakfast, I went to pick up my stuff and saw that my room was already
made up. I wasn’t especially excited about this as I had my computer charging and I don’t really like to make it known that I have it with
me. I even have a very incognito backpack that carries it around. Well, my computer was on my bed before I left for breakfast, as was my
little red wallet. I know this for a fact because I had a full memory card and the last thing I did before I left my room was put everything
from the memory card onto my computer before putting the memory card back into my wallet so that I could put it on a CD while I was in
town.
Just to divert to another thought for a second… It’s funny how in a real hotel I love how they make up the rooms everyday. However,
when staying at a budget-type of place I hate it when they make up the rooms. I like knowing, instead, that nobody at all has been in my
room.
Now I was back in my room and looking for my little red wallet. I looked on the opposite bed (where they put my laptop) and couldn’t find
it anywhere. I made sure to look several times before going into panic mode. But now I was in panic mode. I didn’t see it anywhere. And
there really weren’t many places to look. I also know how it is when in ‘panic mode’ – something can be right in front of your face and you
truly don’t even see it. So I was just about positive that it was not there – but I was giving myself a 5% margin of error considering I could
have just been too startled to even notice it.
I went to the room next to mine where the two girls were making up that room. I asked if they were the ones who just fixed up my room
and they were. I told them I couldn’t find my wallet and had them come into my room. I told them what I was looking for. We now had
three sets of eyes looking all over. Not one of us could find it. I explained to them it was on my bed when they came in. I was looking under
the bed and all around and was coming up with nothing. If it was just money in the wallet, I wouldn’t have been as flustered. But it wasn’t
just money. It was my memory card and my ATM card and my main credit card (that all automatic payments for things back home) that I
was concerned about. I was not letting this issue slide and these girls were going to stay in my room until the wallet was found. And they
now knew that. I then turned my back to search through my suitcase. Why would it have even been there? At this point I would turn the
room upside down until I found it. Keep in mind, to search through my suitcase I couldn’t see the two girls at all. And then when I came up
unsuccessful, there was one of the girls holding my little red wallet asking “Is this it?” I literally went and hugged her. And then I hugged
the other girl. I asked where she found it (though at this point I didn’t even care). She told me it was on top of my bed.
As I was walking into town I realized that it was pretty convenient that she happened to find it ‘on top of the bed’ after we were all picking
up every single thing on my bed when they first came in. No less, it was pretty convenient that she found it when they were completely
out of my line of vision. I have a hunch…and a pretty good one, at that…where they happened to ‘find’ it. And I’m not 100% sure at all.
That’s why I would never say anything to the guy who runs the place (who I have become on very good terms with). To be honest, I don’t
even care. I am just grateful that I came back to my room when I did…when they were still next door…so that the issue could get resolved
as quickly as possible. It’s kind of like when people offer a reward for something (or in some cases ‘someone’) to be returned to them and
they say that they will not seek punishment for the person. It is so true. You end up profusely thanking the same person that put you into
that fearful mode to begin with.
And at the same time a lesson has now been learned.
Even if I am only going to be out of my room for a few minutes, I will always have my bag with me. Always…