Yesterday Jacqueline had her Marie Kondo hat on and spent a good part of the day reorganizing stuff in the garage. “It’s not so bad,” she said. “Boxes just need to be condensed.” In doing so, she had placed a few things on top of the washer – the keep-or-not-to-keep items.
Among them was a small black leather holster. Inside it was my all-time favorite Blackberry Bold cell phone with a physical keyboard. It’s so small I can wrap my fingers around it. I was a proud and devout BB fan until the company stopped making phones.
Immediately I recalled the “adventure” I had with my Blackberry while onboard a trans-Atlantic flight. On that flight I proved that in a pinch, some of us will do anything before losing our cell phones.
My call to action happened after using the lavatory while everyone was sleeping. After returning to my seat in the dark, I put my hand on my Blackberry holster that was hooked to my pants pocket. It was empty. Oh no, I said silently. I felt my seat. Nothing. I even pulled my flashlight pen from the bottom of my handbag to light up the floor around my seat. Nothing. Then I looked at my seat mates snoring away but didn’t have the guts to wake them up.
The flight attendant saw me and asked what was wrong. “I seem to have lost my cell phone. When I got up to use the bathroom, I recalled hearing a soft thump. The phone must have fallen out of the holster – I’ve got to find it! Can you turn the lights on?”
“Everyone is sleeping now. We won’t be able to turn on the lights,” she said. “Let’s just wait until everyone wakes up, then you can resume looking.” Then she walked away.
I slumped into my seat. I immediately decided that if I wait until daybreak, my phone could slide farther away with each sway of the plane. Who knows where it could end up by breakfast time?
I had to take matters into my own hands.
Flight attendants were out of sight. I glanced across the aisle to the guy fast asleep with his blanket touching the floor.
Here goes.
From my seat, I flashed my pen light underneath his seat. Nothing. I flashed it underneath the legs of my seatmates in the mid-section. Nothing.
Ever so quietly -- but in desperation -- I got on my hands and knees in the aisle. God, I hope the flight attendant doesn’t see me. Suddenly I heard someone push the curtain separating first class and coach. I’m dead, I said to myself as I lay flat on my stomach. Saved by the bell, I looked up to see only a hand reach through the curtain to grab something from the overhead bin.
With no time to waste, I looked up to the man across the aisle from me, convinced that my Blackberry must be somewhere in his vicinity. On went my pen light. Lo and behold, I spotted my phone – underneath the legs of the passenger in the window seat. I was so happy I practically cried. How can I get it without waking them up? Could I even reach it? Well, anything’s possible when you have the will. I laid myself as flat as I could (thankfully, the guy was in a deep sleep). With the focus of a ninja warrior, I stretched my arm as far as I could and avoided touching his blanket. I reached my phone and grabbed it. I swear little airplane elves were pushing my phone towards me.
Calm as a clam, I slithered back into my seat and buckled up. Instead of putting my phone back in the holster, I put it securely in my purse. I’ll never do that again.
To keep or not to keep my old Blackberry? Marie Kondo, world-famous organizing consultant, says when you are torn about an item, you must always ask yourself: “Does it bring you joy?”
You did it again, Athena! Had me on the edge of my seat! Loved this memory highlighting your determination and courageous spirit. :-)
We've been sorting through boxes too and have found some real treasures hidden in boxes for years....including photographs, letters and cards that have brought back wonderful memories and that we were thrilled to find again. We'll now try to do a much better job of storing our most special mementos.