911 Emergency. The hospital needs me right now, but I can’t find my car keys. Panicking, I ransack the house and dig through the car. I discover a Starbucks card from 2014, a broken pen, 57 cents in change, and a fossilized french fry.
No car keys.
I check my coat and pant pockets. I retrace my steps checking the kitchen and bathroom. Then, I look in my left hand.
Car keys.
Now off to do surgery.
Not the first time
The other day, I left the hospital after delivering a baby. I swiped my hospital badge against the door handle of my car. Hospital security is quite essential, but hospital badges do not unlock car doors.
Once, during a power outage, my wife and I scrambled to locate a candle. I tried to turn on the light switch to find one…in three different rooms.
Last week, I got into a hotel elevator on the first floor but neglected to push any buttons. A few minutes later, still on the first floor, the elevator doors open. An elderly couple waited for me to step off. I awkwardly made a welcome motion with my hands inviting them to enter. Welcome to my elevator.
We all do silly things
I posted a picture of my “lost” keys on Facebook. Hilarious responses followed. One friend often finds her keys in the refrigerator. I suppose she likes her keys nice and chilled.
My friends’ replies reflect our innately humorous nature. Human beings are funny. After work, we transform into Uberparents getting children from one activity to the next. Our multitasking, distracted selves do nonsensical things. Our minds wander.
Wandering minds do silly things. We place the cereal box in the fridge and the milk in the pantry. Perhaps we drive the grocery store to buy one simple item and arrive home with a bag full of everything except the one thing we needed.
I love to stop and enjoy these moments. We need to laugh at ourselves. Laughter is healthy. Laughing at the crazy things we do keeps us sane and grounded.
Where are my glasses?
Among my Facebook friends, eyeglasses are particularly problematic. One friend often locates his chronically lost sunglasses on top of his head. Another repetitively searches for his reading glasses….while wearing his reading glasses.
Phone trouble
My friend observed his wife yelling, “Where is my phone?” while talking on it. Another confessed to spending an excessive amount of time searching his car for his lost phone. He was using his phone flashlight app to see.
I forgot what I was going to say
Everyone has had a moment where our mind goes completely blank. We start to speak preparing to impart important and profound words. Then, we completely forget what we wanted to say.
I remember the republican primary debates in 2016 when Rick Perry confidently declared the three government agencies he would eliminate.
“It’s three agencies of government, that are gone — Commerce, Education and the, um, what’s the third one there? The third agency of government I would do away with — let’s see. I can’t — the third one. Sorry. Oops,” Governor Rick Perry Presidential election 2016
Don’t beat yourself up.
Just laugh.
It happens to all of us…just not usually in front of 40 million people watching on live TV.
Don’t miss the funny moments
We never want to be so preoccupied with getting through life that we miss the comedy of it all. Giggle when the waiter says “enjoy your meal,” and we reflexively reply “you too.” Have a chuckle when the TSA airport agent says, “have a great flight,” and we answer “you as well.”
Next time you realize you have worn your shirt inside out all day, just slow down and laugh.
We are funny.
Enjoy being human.
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This post was previously published on LighterSide and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Unsplash