I wasn't notably injured (only a scrape at the hand), however I've needed to spend plenty of the past week handling the results of the theft. I spent most of that first afternoon submitting a police document and part of yet some other afternoon running with a comedian strip artist, and I dedicated most of the following nighttime and day to bookkeeping subjects. I went online that middle of the night to cancel all my credit score and debit playing cards and print out new copies of my insurance gambling cards, after which Brian and I went out to select up a latest set of doorknobs, which he spent that night time putting in, so the thieves couldn't get into our house. (The key have become in my purse, and they will find out the deal with on my riding pressure's license.) We spent the subsequent morning strolling around to the monetary institution to update my debit card and cancel the six exams I had left in my checkbook, to the car dealer to have our vehicle keys modified, and to some different financial institution branch to exchange out the locks on our stable deposit field. And the day after that, we needed to prevent through my mom's residence to get my birth certificates, which I'll need for ID to replace my driving force's license now that I not have the license. Oh, and I moreover went to the library to get a new library card, due to the fact priorities.
After a few days of difficult work, we've got now dealt with all the first rate corporation except for my driving force's license and registration (a journey to the DMV is at the time desk for tomorrow). Now comes the trickier part: changing all my stuff. I'm the shape of gal who loves to be prepared for whatever, so I habitually convey lots of things in my purse except the standard pockets, keys, and call. I had a mini umbrella, a couple of sunglasses, a pocket ebook and pen, a pillbox, a sewing package, a first-resource package, a e-book of fits, my grocery charge ebook, a reusable buying bag, a few crossword puzzles, a nearby map, a hint makeup, a deck of gambling playing cards, an strength bar, a excursion toothbrush, a handkerchief, loyalty playing playing cards from half of a dozen extremely good stores, and wee packing containers of sunscreen, lotion, and hand sanitizer. Plus perhaps some various things I'm forgetting about. All that stuff, which consist of the handbag itself, has to get replaced.
But as John F. Kennedy as soon as stated (incorrectly, however it actually is beside the point), the Chinese word for disaster is a aggregate of
You see, as I was going through the list of all the stuff in my wallet, trying to remember what all I needed to replace, I noticed that there was a lot of junk in there that, really, I probably didn't need to be carrying on an everyday basis. (Side note: yes, of course I keep a list of all the stuff in my wallet for just such an occasion as this. I told you I was anal.) I'd need to replace the license, of course, and my credit cards and ATM card, and my health insurance cards. But did I really, for example, need my blood donor and organ donor cards? The blood bank already has all my info on record, and my new driver's license will list my organ donor status. And there were some store and restaurant loyalty cards for places we almost never go to, including one that has actually gone out of business entirely. And a card for a credit union that I never use, because the only branch is in New York, and it would cost me more to go into the city to close the account than the account actually contains. And a couple of shopping guides that I can easily access online once I finally get myself a smartphone, which I was planning to do this year anyway.
All that stuff doesn't need to be replaced, and the same, I realized, probably goes for much of the other stuff I was carrying around. So I've decided that, first of all, I'm only going to replace the stuff I truly need; and second, everything I do replace is going to be at least as good as the original, if not better. I'm not going to make do with a "good enough" purse or wallet or key ring because I've lost the one I liked; I'm going to take this opportunity to upgrade every single thing I carried in that purse that was less than ideal. So when all the dust from this robbery has finally settled, I'm actually going to be better off than I was before it happened.
I've already made a start. I've pared my new key ring down to the essentials: our new house and car keys, a mini flashlight, and a mini Leatherman tool to replace my little Swiss Army knife. Since I'd already found a pen that seemed pretty much ideal for me, I simply went back to JetPens and ordered a couple more of those (one for the new purse and one for a spare). I bought a new notebook, made from certified sustainable paper, at the local art supply store. (It was a bit pricey, but I just counted it toward my local shopping budget.) I ordered a wallet on eBay that's big enough to carry everything I need on a daily basis—cards, cash, and change—and can also hold my checkbook when I need it to, though I probably won't carry it around routinely anymore. (It came in handy once in a while, but usually, if I need to write a check, I know about it ahead of time.) And I found a purse on Poshmark that's similar to my old one, but with a single long strap so it can be worn across the body—a style that my doctor has told me is better for my back, and also has the advantage of being harder to snatch.
It'll take a while for all my new stuff to arrive, but within the next week or so, I should have an EDC that's better, leaner, more organized than what I had before this pesky robbery. Mind you, I still wouldn't say I'm glad it happened—but if I end up with a more functional EDC as a result, at least there's a silver lining.
