Beloved Items
As I went to leave my apartment this morning, I reached into my purse to grab my sunglasses, and shock horror! They were gone. I had lost them. Left at a bank or a bar or who knows where. I turned my apartment upside down. Even RC was coaxed out of his office to help look. But to no avail. I vowed to let it go. No I didn't, that's a lie. Do you know what I did do? I burst into tears.
I know it is shallow to cry about losing something as mundane as a pair of sunglasses, but they represented something more then just eye protection. Firstly, they were a completely unexpected and lovely gift from a friend. For some reason it hurts more to lose a gift then something I bought. Indeed perhaps because the glasses were a gift, I cared a lot more about them then anyone should about a pair of sunglasses, even if they are big, black and Chanel.
Secondly, my glasses were my armor. They hid me from the world. Gliding down the side streets on my bicycle, my sunglasses kept grit out of my eyes, and construction workers from cat calling. They let me ignore unctuous shop girls and when pushed up onto my head, kept my hair out of my face, like a large chic headband. I enjoyed the satisfying snap of the case when I took them out or put them away. They felt substantial, and made me feel substantial. Like a person with a purpose.
Thirdly, losing something I just plain liked so much felt like the world rebuking me (Ok, a little oversensitive, I know, but I get thoughtful, you know?) For what I do not know. It's never the glasses or the gloves you could care less about that you lose, it is always the thing you like best. And I felt crappy, and self indulgent for feeling crappy.
I retraced my steps. I called my bank, to see if they could be there. Then I called the restaurant that I had met an old friend for drinks at on Monday night. And in an amazing piece of luck, they were there, safe and sound.
Does anyone else have something ridiculously material that they love above and beyond the normal? Please share, and make me feel not so ridiculus.
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i have had 3 similar catastrophic sunglasses incidents.
first, i broke my Black Fly "King Flys." silver frames with tortoise ear thingys. amber lenses. all elvis. i've recently replaced these $100 shades with a $10 knock off. kinda similar, but they'll never be the same.
second. volunteering on a low-budget short film (which was later turned into "Mean Creek"), i was helping to move a giant (and i mean giant) piece of set dec across a roof. somehow, i ended up all by myself on the heavy side. i managed to lift said piece of set dec, but soon my spaghetti arms collapsed and the piecs slid down my chest, and across my wonderful arnette hornets. lenses shredded. i still have them, in the hopes that one day i will be able to afford to replace them with RX lenses.
third. LAX. dropping someone off. somehow lost a pair of smith buzzsaws (you could swap lenses in and out of these...lovely). very sad.
recently, i replaced the smiths with a pair of spy scoops. bright blue with bright blue lenses. i haven't had the nerve to order the spare lens kit yet. sigh....