Does anyone else do this?
Say I'm going out to the car to go buy milk or beer or something. I pat my pocket for my wallet...not there. I go to the kitchen and look on the countertop. Nope. I probably left it in the car. But then my mind leaps ahead. What if it's not in the car? I might have left it at work? Is there anyone still there who I could call? Or maybe I dropped it at the last supermarket I was in? I'd have to call them up and then go get it - but that would take time and I've got X, Y and Z to do. Hmm...what's my plan B for those? And, damn, it's got that phone number for suchandsuch, and if I don't phone tonight I'll have to do X, which means Y...Oh! There's my wallet on the car seat!
What a stupid fucking waste of mental energy! I could have been using those brain cells for...ooh, something. If only you could donate spare brain capacity to seti@home.
Günter Grass
Günter Grass has long been one of my literary and political heroes. Following his revelations about his Waffen SS past, I've been trying for a way to let him off the hook. I have to say, though, I kinda agree with this article by Christopher Hitchens. My initial reaction on reading was to fulminate - but I think he makes his argument well. Not sure I agree with his literary judgement, though.
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6 comments:
Gunter Grass... I've finally gotten around to reading "The Tin Drum". I found the movie disappointing, but am enjoying the novel thus far.
I do hate when I am running around in a blind panic trying to remember where I've left something, only to find it's where it belongs, more or less. I don't usually leave my wallet in the car, thankfully. That shock would probably kill me. Though one of K's friends consistently leaves HIS wallet in our car...
(PC)
Ha! If I were to list all the places I've left wallets or credit cards! Miraculously, they've never once been stolen.
I'm not talking about blind panic, though...this is the shit that goes through my head while I'm calmly walking to the car.
You're much more level-headed than I am. I run around in blind panic at least 1/3 of the time. And another 1/3 is spent preparing to panic.
You are lucky you've never had anything stolen. Though it really doesn't seem all that unreasonable to be able to leave stuff places and NOT have it stolen. In a perfect world, I guess. And of course, I've had money stolen from my wallet right out of my bag by co-workers and stuff like that, so it's not any safer in your possession than on the seat of your car, in the long run.
I don't usually have to look for my wallet. It is always my GLASSES that are missing, and of course if I would only put them in the same place every time I took them off when I was done reading I wouldn't have that problem. And I can usually find them unless I have done something really stupid like wear them out to the garden and then put them down by the water faucet. I hate getting old.
My wife has had things stolen from where she works...in a court! The worst one was when someone stole herr handbag and used her various bits of ID to open store accounts.
As for losing glasses...I'm as blind as a bat. Before I broke my glasses, I had to have them right by the side of my bed. Now I have to put in contacts as soon as I get up, which is inconvenient...and even more so if anyone moves them!
Yes - I'm glad to see that I'm not alone!
I know (I think) exactly what you mean re the planning etc.
I do the same when anticipating phone calls etc (espevially where I am complaining):
Well if they say A, I'll say B
If they say C . . .
Normally pretty self defeating, since people normally manage to not put up a fight when I'm expecting them to and vice versa.
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