Small Oversight, Big Wake-Up Call

We're only human, and on few occasions we tend to forget things that are important, only to realize when it's too late and it goes on to affect our day negatively; such experiences teach us some vital lessons going forward. It's not like I feel like I'm perfect, but I hardly believe in those statements or excuses of it skips my mind until it happens to me. It happened that I forgot something so important that it almost ruined my day, and although looking back now, it seems funny, at that very moment it was everything but funny, and I'd love to tell you all about it.

The missing flash drive

About 6 years ago, when I still worked at the factory in Kano State, I had a big presentation to make at work in the presence of the company's MDs and other senior officers, and this got me into a preparation mode all week so I could nail my presentation and maybe get some recognition in the process. This led to me even staying up late the night before to run through all my plans and make sure they were perfect. When I was done, I made sure to pack everything I needed for the presentation into my bag the night before, or so I thought. The next morning, I quickly freshened up, dressed, and found my way to the office confidently with no iota of fear regarding the coming presentation. Things went south fifteen minutes prior to the presentation when I was setting up all I needed, and then I realized, alas, my flash drive was missing.

This is the same flash drive that has all my presentation files in it, I just froze in one place for a couple of minutes, obviously our of a mixture of panic, the looming embarrassment and disappointment, at that point in time I only had two options, either I cancel the presentation or find a quick fix, the first option is impossible, as this involved the top staff of the organisation, neither can I rush home to get the flash drive, cause I live miles away from my office, fortunately for me, I had sent a copy of the file to a colleague email the previous day to help me proofread and share insights on how I can improve it, reminding that I had a copy online was a relief to my panic.

I quickly accessed the mail I sent to the colleague from my phone so I could retrieve it and use it for the presentation. Luckily, I was able to get everything set in time for the presentation, although due to the tension I had earlier, the presentation wasn't as seamless as I had envisioned, but it was something, and everyone understood all my analysis. But then I can't help but say that that experience taught me a valuable lesson; at least in this aspect, I had a backup, unlike the other experience.

The missing tfare drama

The second experience where I had no backup happened two years ago. I had dressed up smart just like every other day on my way to work, and I boarded a tricycle from home to the office. On arriving at the junction where I ought to step down, I reached out to my pocket for money to pay the driver, and that was when I realized I didn't have any money on me. It was like magic because I remember arranging the money I'd be needing while dressing up at home. Where could the money possibly be? Did I forget it at home or misplace it while walking to the bus stop? Well, my thoughts didn't last long before the driver started shouting and asking me to pay up. I was embarrassed because he even went as far as saying that's how people like me do it: we dress flashy and try to trick drivers into believing we misplace our money, meanwhile we did it intentionally.

I was dumbfounded, as I just kept on begging him that I actually had money or probably misplaced it. I even offered to pay him an extra 500 naira if he'd take a transfer, but he refused, claiming I'd only send him a fake alert. Well, thankfully, one of the other passengers in the tricycle got tired of the delay and offered to pay my fare. I thanked him and offered to transfer the money to him, but he refused. Even at that, the driver still abused me as he drove away. Funny enough, when I got home after that workday was over, I saw the money I had arranged on my table, meaning I didn't even take it in the first place.

Well, while I understand that we're just human and oversight can happen when we least expect, I did make a promise to myself: to never again find myself in such situations and below:

• I must make sure to double-check my bag and pocket twice before leaving the house daily.

• I must make sure to have backup copies of important files in multiple locations, such as a flash drive, Google Drive, email, and the like, so I can always have another to fall back on if one goes missing.

• I make sure to have a small checklist of all I need on my phone, aside from the mental note I have in my head. The phone helps me run through each item every morning before setting out, especially when I know I have a big day ahead.

Forgetting something important can mess up our day, mood, and plans, and we should work towards finding ourselves in such situations; however, how we respond when we find ourselves there usually makes the difference. For me, I've learned to always be prepared, because being prepared isn't just about doing the work but about securing the work and maintaining a respectful reputation in the society, so overall my goal is to forget less going forward and prepare better.

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All photos are mine.

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