Last week I sorta bragged about having conquered my tendency to lose stuff. It has occurred to me, though, that there is one ‘lost and found’ pile that continues to grow despite the brain foods I ingest and the mind games I play. You might identify.
Ever lost a train of thought? Even though it is not always due to my actions, I have tons of derailed trains… some single cars, some engines, some cabooses and some whole lengthy lines… stockpiled here and there. There are those that disappear, left dangling forever because the track suddenly vanished when I forgot where I was going with it. Others reappear after joining a new train – same thought, different destination. Others find a new purpose, refusing to stay away, chugging and blowing to make sure it’s noticed. Others get a revival of sorts, sitting pretty for all to admire in a depot somewhere or providing real food for thought as a diner on tracks leading nowhere. That is preferable to having one appear spontaneously and receiving the ‘where did that come from’ look.
Perhaps a lost train of thought feels a bit slighted, but consider the alternative – being sold for scrap. Repurposed is better than recycled. After all, not all of them are worthy of barricades and blinking lights alerting those at the crossing that a gem of a thought is approaching.
Getting lost in thought is vastly different. I wish that experience for all of us as we reminisce on joyous celebrations of the past and become fully engaged in creating wonderful memories of Christmas 2018.