Disappearing Umbrella

This was a very rainy week for us. Well, I think it was especially since I got caught in the rain a few times this week. Friday was the worst day in the rain for me. I had several appointments and things to do that required me going from place to place. The umbrella was helpful earlier in the week but totally useless and costly on Friday. I say useless because the wind was too strong for the umbrellas, big, small cute or plain old umbrellas. Folks including me were running to get replacement ones even though I was completely soaked and the wind gust which didn’t subside was relentless. The umbrellas were turned inside out and the rain had a good shot at you. The wind was so fierce that if we weren't so water logged there would have been a lot of "Mary Popping" umbrella scene and ladies in the sky.

My issue here however is with the umbrellas. How many times have you lost, left, misplace or forgot your umbrella at the last place you stopped while carrying it? And this includes on a rainy day, while it's still raining. I have lost count of the number of times I have lost my umbrella. Believe it or not it happened this time as well. Granted I was getting minimal coverage from the umbrella this day but it was still a good one and it could be more useful on another rainy day.

Well, I stepped into a store out of the rain to grab a cup of Joe as I headed to work. Of course there was a line in the store. As I got to the cashier I placed the umbrella on the counter to pay, collected my goodies and move on. Oh yeah, I moved on minus the umbrella. I was already wet as I said; I was only a couple of doors away from the job so I made a run for it not realizing that I left the umbrella. Now I am inside again and then I miss the umbrella. Should I run back out for my umbrella? Oh, on a day like this will it still be there? Is it worth going out again to get more wet? Hmmm, what to do? I will certainly need an umbrella to get along my way throughout the day. If I leave it there I will have to buy a new one and money is tight, or I will have to borrow one. With the wind gusts I might damage the loaner umbrella and will have to replace it. I might have to buy two umbrellas instead of one. Hmmm; decisions, decisions. Well, I made a run back to the store to collect my umbrella and guess what? It was g-o-n-e! That was all of 5 minutes. I sauntered back to my office resigned to buying an umbrella to help me through the day.

As I went back to the office I wasn’t sure how to react or what to think about the disappearance of the umbrella. I ran through several scenarios in my head that the 'taker' might have considered; I was silly to have left it? Maybe I (the owner) was finished with it? It was someone’s lucky day, or, gee giving the kind of weather we’re having, someone didn’t find the umbrella useful and discarded it. Or, and this could be real, someone really needed an umbrella and I met that need.

Well whatever the reason for collecting my unattended umbrella, I hope it does me proud and it meets the needs of the taker. It served me well. What was your thoughts or reaction when you forgot your umbrella and wasn't able to retrieve it? Good riddance. Ah gee, what the heck? Well maybe I did a good deed!