The Mystery of the Missing Tool

 

I don't know when it started, but somewhere along the way I developed a special talent. Not a useful talent like fixing engines or building furniture. No, my talent is putting something down and immediately forgetting where I put it.

The funny part is that everything I own has a place. The tape measure has a place. The screwdriver has a place. My safety glasses have a place. I've spent years organizing things so I always know where they are.

At least that's the theory.

The reality usually goes something like this:

I'm working on a project, making good progress, feeling productive, and then I set my tool down "for just a second."

Five seconds later I need it again.

Gone.

Vanished.

Apparently the tool has entered a witness protection program without notifying me.

I start looking around the workbench. Nothing. I check my pockets. Nothing. I look behind me. Nothing. Then comes the classic move where I retrace every step I've taken over the last three minutes like a detective investigating a crime scene.

"Let's see... I walked over here... picked this up... moved that board... then what happened?"

The best part is when I finally find the missing item sitting in the most obvious place imaginable. Sometimes it's right in front of me. Sometimes I'm holding it in my other hand. Once or twice I've spent several minutes searching for something that was literally in my pocket the entire time.

The older I get, the more I realize the search process has become part of every project. If a task should take thirty minutes, I automatically add ten minutes for locating things I misplaced myself.

It's become a routine.

Step 1: Start project.

Step 2: Lose tool.

Step 3: Blame tool.

Step 4: Find tool exactly where I left it.

Step 5: Repeat.

The good news is that I usually find whatever I'm looking for within five to ten minutes. The bad news is that during those five to ten minutes, I become absolutely convinced someone has snuck into my workspace and rearranged everything.

Maybe it's just part of staying busy. Maybe my brain is moving faster than my hands. Or maybe the tools are playing games when I'm not looking.

Either way, the next time you can't find something that was just in your hand, don't worry. You're not alone. Somewhere out there, I'm probably searching for the exact same thing I put down thirty seconds ago.

Happy hunting.

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