On a recent trip to the Bay area, admist a mad morning rush to the airport, I mistakenly left one of my prized possessions at the home of my friend. It’s just a scarf, I realize, but it was a gift which makes it much more special and and all the more missed when it is left behind. I rarely perform these random acts of irresponsibility, but this particular morning was exceptionally hazy. (If I couldn’t remember what happened between the hours of 10 and midnight the night before, how could I possibly remember to throw my scarf in my purse before I head out the door?) The incident got me thinking, though, about all the things, big and silly, that we leave behind. I have a friend who every time he visits me at my Malibu beach house always without fail leaves something behind. The first time it was his sunglasses, the second the contents of his wallet, cash and ID included, the third it was a hat, then an IPOD…you get the picture. My neighbor told me that certain people do this on purpose so they have a reason to come back. In life, some of us leave behind much bigger things, like boyfriends and girlfriends, kids and pets. People leave behind their homes, their friends, their past. I’ve recently left a city, an apartment, a boyfriend and a dog, so I guess my little scarf isn’t such a big deal afterall. It’s funny though how the small things can really get to us when they are misplaced and God forbid lost. My scarf symbolizes all those things that I left behind and I wear it all the time, like a grown up version of a child’s blankie, so when I accidentally leave it behind I wonder if it was a mistake or simply a sign that I need to let go of the past and move on with my life. The familiar song tells the story of a man who left his heart in San Francisco, I just left a scarf, but there’s a whole lot of love wrapped up in it.
