Hyphenated-Homestead

If you haven’t read the first part of the story, I would recommend starting from the top.

I sincerely appreciate the creative (and wild) imaginations that were shared earlier after I wrote the first part. I really do. Some of you took the story line in totally different direction but that’s OK. This confirms that I have some super-smart and creative friends.

So here is what actually happened.

It was cool, crisp spring morning. This was last Thursday (March 28^th) to be precise. I decided to squeeze in a haircut ahead of the weekend, since the haircut lady was going to be there only for 2 hrs. that morning and then off for the Easter holiday. My hair cannot wait to get styled for that long 😊 – jokes apart, but really, I needed a haircut.

• Haircut lady – check
• Morning rush – stage is setup
• Mandar – The main hero in the story – check

I like my Chai in the morning. Btw, what is your favorite drink in the morning? Do drop the name in the comments section below. Mine is homemade Indian Chai (with ginger and cardamom, aka ‘the adrakwali’) and that’s the one thing I like not to compromise when I am at home and not traveling.

• My Chai – is getting made.

So, the hair appointment is confirmed. She can squeeze me in (in her schedule that is) so I need to be flexible…no time to sit down and enjoy the chai at home…need to get going buddy!

• Morning rush – check

So, I take the essentials, my car keys, the wallet and of course my Chai, and am trying to get out of the house as soon as I am able.

• My Car Keys – are getting into action.
• My Wallet – is getting into action.
• My Chai Travel Mug – is already in action,

Mind you…it is the end of March, and it is still cold. Like mid-thirties cold. Recently I experienced that when temperatures are that cold in the morning, my key fob and keyless entry does not work in one go.

And it was not working that morning.

Do I need to jiggle it? Maybe time to replace the batteries in the key fob? or the touch button on the door handle has gone rogue on me? Why is it not working? I do not know. Does it have to happen right now when I am in a rush? 😊 Absolutely, yes! That is life, my friend.

Too many things in my hand and it is cold. I need to get that haircut out of my way and start getting s*** and get on with the day. All sounds good, right? Easy peasy – no big deal.

This is when the first mistake happens. You have done it before. We all have done it. Where do you keep the extra things when there are too many things in your hand, and you are trying to get into your car?

Yes – that exactly is the place. On top of the car (roof) above the driver seat.

Mind you…I warned myself, silently in my mind, that I do not have to forget these things when I get in. I reminded myself twice that I had to take them off the roof when I get into the car. And with that assurance, I started working with the keys again.

Press//Press – no sound. Press the touch button on the handle – no response. Frustrating. Should I try another key? Should I try a couple more times. Press//Press – still no response. What is happening? It was all fine and dandy last night – what has gone awry overnight?

Press//Press – Voila! It works. Jubilation. Celebration. Small wins! It felt like the car was finally allowing me to enter. She was not ready before. Yeah, sometimes it feels like she has a mind of her own. The keyless entry finally worked. Thank you, my lady.

If you are keeping track of my cues and clues from prior article 😂 – Here is the current run down.

• My Car – check
• My Car keys – check
• My Wallet – check
• My Chai Travel Mug – check

This is where the second mistake happens. I get into the car only taking my travel mug. Yes, only the travel mug.

My wallet and the iPhone are still sitting nicely on the roof. Eagerly waiting to be picked up by their owner as promised…after all, they are the most important things in today’s life – right? Your plastic and your phone, or maybe your phone first and then the plastic? 😊 but yeah, that’s not what happened.

I left them alone. All alone, without any seat belt, heck…out in open on a chilly morning on the roof. Live a little, I must be thinking. Was I?

My other lady, the haircut one, remember? works exactly 2.6 miles from the house. See it to believe it.

I drove all those 2.6 miles, approx. 7-8 min drive, luckily no highways but only neighborhood roads, oblivious to the fact that I had left my wallet and the phone on the roof. As if that struggle getting into the car only a few minutes ago never happened. I was fully focused on getting the task at hand (or on my hair?) done. 😊

Now, the story moves fast. Extremely fast. At least that is how it ran through my mind.

I reach the place only to find I do not have my phone in the usual car charger place. And the awakening happens. Holy s***. The panic surges steeply through my spine. Oh, my word! What did I do? How can I?

• Feeling panicked – check
• Feeling stupid – triple checked

I quickly got out of the car just to check if the items were still there. I know, naïve! But there is such a thing in life called hope. I tend to believe in it.

And you won’t believe it.

My iPhone was still firmly grounded on the top of the roof. It was right there waiting for me, more than 15+ minutes, on the roof of the car, braving the cold, surviving my twists and turns without a seat belt. 😁 Only hoping I will deliver on my promise and will take him to a safer and charging place. And finally, there I was. I could not believe my luck. I thanked heavens profusely and picked him up, promising him I would never do such a reckless thing with him ever again. Never!

But the wallet was gone!

I asked my iPhone…Hey Siri! you held on to your life pretty alright, but where is your companion? Didn’t I put both of you in the same place, at the same time? Where is the wallet, that literally pays your bills? Sigh – there was no answer, only silence. As if my phone was trying to tell me; the universe is trying to teach me a lesson. I should not have done this in the first place, so I should be ready to face the consequences.

Honestly, at that time, I did not know what or how to feel. Should I feel good that at least my phone was not lost, or should I worry that my wallet is now gone?

As I put the first limbic brain reaction of panic behind me, finding my phone intact definitely helped, I started to think what most of us would do in this case. I need to trace my way back. Maybe it is still there lying somewhere discreet just waiting for me to find it? May be better yet, it must have fallen off right on the driveway when I was backing off? I was just trying to put positive thoughts in my mind only to manifest the favorable outcome.

Round #1

So, I put the phone in my pocket, waved awkwardly at the haircut lady saying – I need to come back without giving her any explanation and I started my way back home. I rolled my driver’s side window down as I started slowly keeping one eye on the road and one on the other side hoping I would spot the wallet lying somewhere.

Thankfully, no one honked at me going back as I may have driven below the speed limit in my quest not to miss a spot on the road. Thank you, neighbors! Although you did not know why I was going so slow you did what a right Samaritan would do – showed patience! Thank you.

Another 3ish miles back to home. NOTHING. I am sure I looked intently. I did not see anything on the side of the road. With a tinge of hope, I investigated the garage and the driveway with hawkish eye – NOTHING again. Looked like my luck ran out when I found my phone on the roof.

So, what should I do now? Take a walk? – maybe I missed a spot? Think Mandar, think!

Round #2

I took the decision to walk the path – now from the “right” side. Just the way I drove to my haircut place. I walked for 100 meters or so and found nothing. Time was the essence here. Walking ~3 miles would at least take 40-45 minutes. I can’t waste that much time. I need to act fast if there is any chance of recovering my lost assets.

Round #3

So, I decided to go back and take a car to ride the path again. Almost halfway through – NOTHING. I am starting to lose the remaining hope when I spot a police car parked in a location usually to catch the speedsters through the neighborhood in the morning.

Another thought, Mandar you need to seek help. And here is someone who can help. So, I turn my car next to the police car and gave the brief version of my absent mind behavior that morning.

• Police interaction – check

He was nice. He listened. He pulled me up in his system. Asked a few questions and confirmed my course of action.

Look for the wallet first, and then if I do not find it, file a police report.

He also confirmed that he will look for it himself as he does his rounds in the neighborhood or someone else turns up the lost property to him. It is nice when someone else also concludes you are on the right track. Not that I needed reassurance from the police, but it still helped.

I don’t know how; but I joked as I was pulling away from him. “Officer, I don’t have my Driver’s License on me, and I am still driving, so you know…don’t issue me a ticket” 😊 I somehow still managed to find humor in that whole situation. He chuckled and said, “Keep driving Sir, I am right behind you.”

OK. I need to finish my third round and keep looking. I did go all the way to the haircut place again. NOTHING.

I started thinking – What if I don’t find it? What is next? Call to cancel all personal credit cards. Oh dear, that is a huge task. Wait, there is a business Credit Card in there too. Then all my medical insurance cards, library card – file for replacement? And Driver’s License – I never lost my DL before, so apply for a new? There are some blank checks and cash but in the grand scheme of things, that is an irrecoverable cost. Maybe I was missing something, but overall, wow, such a hassle.

Round #4

With my mind almost giving up on the situation, I started coming back home. Think Mandar – Think! Do not give up just yet. What is that I have not done yet or what better I could do in this round #4.

Oh wait…the engineer in me comes to the forefront. If I knew where I placed the items and how I drove, the chances of them rolling off are greater when I am taking the right turns and when that happens, where would they fall? in the middle of the street – not at the curbside. I need to look for it but just a bit differently this time. This renewed thought ignited some more hope. Maybe I was looking for it in the wrong place?

I need to keep looking. I must.

So, I start back on the same route, 4^th time, but with different focus, and guess what?

You won’t believe it.

They say, if you wish hard – things will happen. You can manifest it.

My wallet, just like my phone, was waiting to be picked up in the middle of the road just few blocks away after the first right turn. All inside items intact!

Hurrah! I must have done something right to be that lucky to get both items back just the way they were, no harm, no scratch!

What 45 minutes or so! Phew!

All is well that ends well, right? I thanked the heavens again and started on that same route for the fifth time. 😊 Why, you ask? I still have to get that haircut, didn’t I?

Liked this? Please subscribe and get new stories 2–4×/month. No spam, just clarity and a smile.

Want help turning ideas into action? I run mPath Services: empathy + execution and hands-on help for solopreneurs or anyone needing a bit more TLC. Visit mPath →

Want to just say hello? drop me a note at: mandar@mpathservices.com or contact me →