Catching Up

CATCHING UP

If on a Wednesday, say—call it mid-

afternoon, late September—

you were suddenly to be over-

taken by a vague sense of dis-

jointedness, as if you’d misplaced

something of central importance—

like your car keys, maybe, or a purse— 

you’ll be glad to find you haven’t lost 

your mind. This sense is a common 

occurrence among those who are—

as you are—perpetually a bit scatter-

brained beneath the clock’s demanding hands. 

Unfortunately, rifling through your

pockets or retracing your steps

up the slopes of the parking garage

won’t recover what you’re really looking for.  

You left it behind way further back

than you "could have sworn,” 

and it’s not the sort of thing 

that just shows up in a backpack.  

In fact, in this scenario, your best bet

might actually be—the way your parents 

drilled you to do if you ever got lost

at the county fair—staying put

until it comes to you. Still, souls 

are slow things. As anyone with a spouse

or significant other will readily attest, 

your better half is nearly never ready, always 

lagging significantly behind. So unless 

you want to arrive wherever you’re rushing

off to, only to get there with that nagging

suspicion of having forgotten something

important, pump the brakes a bit.

Slow down. Wait for it.