There’s a bunch of meaningful stuff I’d like to write about, but this seems short. Also, fashion.
Two weeks ago, I misplaced a scarf. It’s a wool blue tartan scarf, from Scotland, made by BEGG. BEGG was founded in 1869 by Alexander Begg, and is currently located in the seaside town of Ayr, Scotland. They make beautiful scarves. I’d link to one of their several websites, but the useful one is under construction, and the other ones are outdated and require Flash. I.e., these guys are so good they don’t even care about their website. Wish I could say the same.
Oct. 2013 update: Begg & Co. contacted me – I thought this was a soliloquy! – to tell me about their brand new website, http://www.beggandcompany.com/, where you can browse and purchase their fantastic fashion! As a previous User Experience lead, I’m happy to say that they’ve done a great job with the usability of their online store.
This scarf was given to me by my sister. It’s beautiful. It feels wonderful to wear, and it’s visually stimulating. I was really distressed to have misplaced it. I’d been wearing it most of the day, and remember playing with the ends during a meeting at the end of the day. The time between that moment and the realization it was no longer on me when I arrived home amounted to less than an hour.
Did I take it off? Did it fall off somewhere? How would I miss that? Am I really beginning to forget things so easily? I’m not that old. I went back to work to search the parking lot and our office, and ultimately sent out a few messages to coworkers and building mates. And then I did my best to embrace my inner Buddhist: it’s only stuff. I was sad.
After celebrating my birthday over the weekend, I went to the office on Monday and discovered a gift on my chair. My friend (and coworker) Zoe and her wife Rachel surprised me with a fantastic blue scarf! It wasn’t exactly the same, but it’s sleek, it’s modern, it’s me. And it meant a lot that they’d thought of me and my predicament. Suddenly losing the scarf didn’t seem so bad.
Check out my new scarf, yes.
Today I happily wore my new scarf to the office. I didn’t get a chance to model it for Zoe—she’s a busy person, on the go, making things happen—but it went well with everything else I was wearing, and seemed to fit right into place where the old one had left off. It turns out there was another surprise to be had: at the very end of the day, after a strategic meeting that left me feeling slightly drained, Zoe’s boss walked in holding my original scarf in his hands.
I couldn’t believe it: I had searched all over the office, under things, in closets, even going through garbage cans in case I’d thrown it out instead of the actual garbage I’d had in my hands—you’ve done it, you know it. I hugged him; apparently, this is my week for spontaneously hugging the sales people: watch out!
It had slipped off my neck and into the cushions of a chair.
Guess who has TWO awesome scarves now?