What's your wallet?

The past week has been challenging.  That’s actually putting it mildly.  The past week has been a chaotic, ridiculous frenzied circus.  A home organization project spiraled out of control; work demanded every millisecond of my attention.   My apartment looked like an audition for Hoarders; the dirty dishes were stacked on the stove because the sink was full and I wasn’t sure where I could locate any more clean clothes to get to the end of the work week.    For someone who thrives on order, it wasn’t pretty.

By the time Thursday evening rolled around, I was a red wine swilling hot mess.

At 7pm, I was in sweats and plunked firmly on the couch watching the Home Shopping Network.  (For anyone who knows me well, this is the equivalent of total meltdown mode)   

By 8 pm, I had abandoned the couch for bed.  It’s important to note here that I literally crawled from the couch into bed.  Makeup intact, clothes on, wine glass askew- you get the picture.

I normally have an end of the evening routine.  Pack a lunch for the next day, compile a quick to do list, walk the dog, charge my phone, lay out clothes for the gym and office.  Basic prep for the day ahead.

Not last night.  Nope.  Last night it was a long 500’ crawl straight to bed where I was dozing blissfully until an early morning text message catapulted me from bed.

“I have your wallet”

Now before your mind goes wandering down a very dark and dramatic road, let me clarify…

The text message was from my husband, who was at work.  At work with my wallet.   The wallet I left in the car last night before the wine swilling, virtual shopping meltdown.

This leaves me at home without my wallet.  Which is all fine and dandy until a quick inventory of the apartment reveals that my CTA card and emergency cash are both in said wallet.  

At this point, I have:

·         No money

·         No access to money

·         No car

·         No way to get to work, where I am expected to be in just over an hour

·         A husband who cannot leave work to bring me the damn thing

Immediately, I am obsessed with getting my wallet back.  I am completely focused on that wallet and the contents of it.  In my mind, the day  can not start until I have my wallet back.

I frantically brush my teeth and scour the rubble for shoes.  Reserve a Zipcar online.  Run to the car.  Attempt to open the car with my phone.  Get messages telling me I must use my card to access the car for the first time.  That’s fine, but we all know where that card is, right? 

Yes, yes it is.  It’s …in the wallet.

After stomping my feet and letting loose a few choice words, I call customer service and pray that my dwindling cell phone battery makes it though the call.


I manage to stumble through all of my secret passwords and security questions and I am on the road with 30 minutes to spare.  30 minutes that I will spend sitting in rush hour traffic on Lake Shore Drive.  Wall to wall traffic.  The kind of traffic where you completely question your existence and pound the steering wheel in frustration.  The kind of traffic that lets your mind wander to other places…..

My wandering mind thought about the two rolls of quarters in the laundry room that could be CTA fare or even cab money.  The good friend who lives a block away and has access to both a car and cash.   My retired father who lives 10 minutes away and also has access to a car and cash (and probably a snack)

Instead, I was sitting on Lake Shore Drive watching the clock tick closer and closer to the start of my meeting.  I was hungry and not sure that I remembered to lock the door on my way out.

Later in the day, when my wallet and I were safely at work, I was finally able to catch my breath chuckle about my morning.  At this moment, it struck me that my wallet could easily symbolize any obstacle we create for ourselves.

Here's the thing-I was so focused on the wallet that I failed to see all of the options in front of me.


There were at least three other ways (calmer and more effective ways) to resolve this.  By only zooming in on the wallet, I missed all of the other choices and probably spiked my blood pressure a few points along the way!

Is there something that you are so focused on that you’ve lost your way?  Is it clouding your vision and preventing new ideas from sinking in?  What are you fixated on and what are you missing with this fixation?


What’s your wallet?