Where Is My Bag?

I am known to my family and some friends as a forgetful person.  Again, I had an incident of my forgetfulness.  And this time, it's BIG TIME!

Here's what happened.

Pat, me and his niece (AJ) went on a trip last week for the holy week vacation.  On our last day, we were at the bus terminal of Ozamiz City waiting for the bus for Iligan City.   After about 20 minutes of waiting, I went to the comfort room to urinate, bringing along with me my shoulder bag.  Before urinating, I looked for a  hook to hang my bag on and luckily found one.  Actually, I was supposed to just have my bag with me but since I saw a hook, I hang it there instead.  After doing my thing, I flushed the toilet bowl and left the comfort room.  Returned to the area where Pat and AJ were seated.  Just sat there silently.  After a few seconds, I thought of taking my cellphone from my bag to check the time.  That was when I realized my bag was not with me.  I told Pat, "Nabilin akong bag" (I left my bag.) matter of factly.  I stood up and walked back to the comfort room.  Half way through, I ran.   The man sitting in front of the door of the comfort room had a big smile when I ran past him.  I didn't say anything.  I just ran straight to the toilet room where I left my bag.  Hah!  I was sooooo relieved to see my bag still hanging there.  Whew.  Grabbed it and whispered a thank you.     When I came out of the comfort room, with my bag, the man said "limtan man" (forgotten eh), still with the big smile on his face.  I just smiled back and said "lagi" (yeah). 

Then I headed back to my seat.  With a big smile on my face.  AJ asked if my camera was in the bag.  I said, everything.  My camera, my wallet and other stuff.   Then I just sat down like nothing happened.  Pat then told me to check the contents.  Oh yeah, I forgot to check if everything's still there.  So, I checked.  Yap, everything's still there. 

Then Pat said something to me that really jolted me to what just happened.  He said that he was not worried if the camera or the money would be gone.  What worried him was what could have happened to me if my bag was not there anymore.   Then it hit me.  Oh my God, I almost lost my bag and all the valuable contents inside.  And the most valuable at that time is the memory card with all our pictures during the trip.   Then a bit of panic hit me.  My heart started throbbing.  I looked at Pat.   And I also could not give an answer to his question.  Yeah, what could have happened to me?  At that moment I said a little prayer thanking God for guiding us and keeping us safe.  My guardian angel sure was not asleep.   Thank you.

(image source :  http://www.bolokids.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=178)

With what happened to me at the bus terminal, I learned two lessons that I will always have to remember for the rest of my life.

1.  Never again separate my bag (or other things valuable) from my body, whenever I am on a trip or attending some events.   Pat said specially in public places like comfort rooms.  :-)
 
2.  To be at the present moment always.  This is what actually causes most of my forgetfulness attack.  As I am doing something, my mind would also be thinking of something else.  That is why I have the tendency not to be aware of what I am actually doing as I am deep in thought about something else.  And so I tend to forget what I am supposed to do next.  So, when I finished urinating, I forgot to get my bag from the hook because the last thing I remembered was that my bag was with me.

Whew!