Saturday, May 19, 2012

Stress

Last night my wallet was stolen at a bar.  Once we realized it, Dan asked me why I wasn't freaking out.   My honest answer was that this wasn't stressful at all- because there wasn't any way it could kill anybody.  Since becoming a surgery resident,  somehow that had become my new standard of stress.    An old lady getting post MI? Stressful.  All of my credit cards and ID's bring stolen? Not stressful.  See the second one is fixable with a few phone calls and one trip toothe DMV.  The first one may or may not be fixable, they may or may not be doomed, but I have to work my damnest to to try to fix the- and no matter what happens, I'll probably think I should have done better.

I guess i'm learning the difference between stress and annoyance.  Stress is when someone might die. Everything else is just an annoyance.

4 comments:

  1. One time one of my students stole my wallet and I was way more upset about losing the actual wallet than anything it it. It was so pretty!

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  2. First, let me tell you how sorry I am that this happened to you. IT SUCKS. I don't know why I felt compelled to do what I am going to share with you, but I did, and it has been quite helpful twice for me and I lost count how helpful it has been for others. It all started about 24 years ago. I had just turned 18 and was going to my first doctor's appointment as a legal adult (three months after starting college). So, I copied the front/back of our insurance card to take with me and went on my way. I got to thinking that what if I did that with everything that was important in my wallet in the event that something ever happened. So, I did just that. I keep (still do) in a file folder where I can keep notes as well; written right on the file folder. In there is the front/back of everything in my wallet, EVERYTHING~even if it seems like no big deal (library card, video card)! When I no longer needed my school ID's after I cut them up, I made a note on the paper copy of what I did and when I did it and left it in the folder. I lived @ home until I was 24 so it stayed in the family safe. When I moved out on my own, I bought my own safe (fire, water, etc., safe) and it stays there. Shortly, after moving out a student stole my wallet; once I knew about it, I ran home and within 20 minuets had everyone called because all the info was in that folder (nobody was able to anything in the few hours it took)! No having too look up numbers, NOTIHNG! I had a copy of my DL, SS Card (I don't keep that info in my wallet but the number for stolen cards is written on the inside of the folder, my banking info~account numbers)! It saved me. I started telling all of my friends and many of them started doing it and unfortunately, had to use the information. One person who thought it was stupid and not worth the very small amount of time it takes to set up and maintain, lost her wallet and by the time she remembered, and obtained all the info she needed to alert everyone there was 20,000 charged on her credit cards, checks written, and several credit cards opened in her name; and ten years later she's still cleaning up the mess, most recently she got denied a mortgage! She now uses this system! I do know that some people pay a fee yearly to have some kind of security company monitor this and take care of the work, but this is just as accurate, cheaper, and more effective! Oh, I also keep a State ID in there, an actual ID. When I get my DL renewed I also get a new State ID. There's a lot you can do with a State ID after loosing your wallet and not much without it! I don't know how long they are good for so I just get a new one every four years when my DL expires. Good luck!

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