IWOM – We Know No Limits.com

Sometimes bad things happen to good people and a couple of weeks ago I was involved in a bad thing. The good news is it wasn’t all bad and lessons were learned. Yes, I’m still positive and surprisingly, so is the friend who was the victim of an all round bad week.

We’d decided to meet for a drink, something to eat and a catchup as my friend had fallen victim to the volcanic ash stopping flights into and out of the UK and Europe. Not only was she stuck at home on a week off but she’d missed a wedding and catchup with many old friends.

So, we found a spot, settled in for a drink and started to chat. My friend was quite philosophical about the missed holiday and looking on the bright side, noted that at least she was having a break and actually getting the things done that she didn’t usually have time for.

As we enjoyed our drinks and dinner, the place filled and we realised we were sitting under a big screen showing the football game between Spain and England…things could get messy! We finished eating just as the match ended and people started leaving – a good time for us to go too. That was when we found someone had taken my friend’s bag.

Oh my god – doesn’t describe the awful feeling of realising someone has basically grabbed your life in their hands and left you stranded. Needless to say 2-3 stressful hours of running around, trying to remember what was in the bag, what needed reporting and cancelling and deciding what should be done first, followed.

The sudden realisation that my friend’s licence with address was in the bag along with her keys sent us scurrying home – well, to her work place 1st where she had a spare set of keys, then home.

For me; it’s awful to think there are people out there who have no hesitation at taking a female’s bag and leaving her totally stranded – no money, no phone, no cards, no keys…nothing. For my friend; it was awful to think she’d been so stupid. She’d seen her bag on the floor with people sitting next to it and thought she should move it then silently reprimanded herself for being so suspicious. Now she felt like a fool.

Aside from the inconvenience and worry of having all your funds and security at risk, there was also a loss of personal and sentimental items that any woman will understand – yes, we all have so much stuff in our handbags that the loss goes way beyond the practical.

I’ve convinced my friend to stop beating herself up – we’ve all ignored those warning signs from time to time and sometimes we’re lucky, sometimes we’re not. She’s been great at looking on the bright side; how lucky we were that my bag was left so we could get home, she had spare keys and a spare phone – all positives, besides, we must accept the things we can’t change.

We’ve both learned a lesson – listen to your instincts. Don’t worry if you think you’re being suspicious or cynical, none of us want to be but on the other hand, we need to be realistic. Oh yeah, spare keys, credit card and a backup of your phone contacts isn’t a bad idea either!

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