I was out today, and ordinarily have a shopping bag folded up into a strap that clips onto my purse. I did a few things in the botanical gardens, and then picked up a plant and went home.

After that, I did some errands. Even though I had ‘already visited the gardens’ today, something in me wanted to go back, so I did. While I was on my way there, I noticed that my shopping bag was not in its usual place on my purse, and presumed I probably left it at home after the errands.

At the gardens, a few important things happened which I will leave out since they would be book-length and have to do with stuff watching water teaches me.

On my way out of the gardens, it appeared that a young girl ahead of me had dropped something blue. I wanted to try to catch up to her and alert her to this, but when I approached the blue thing I suddenly recognized that it was my shopping bag, which I had apparently dropped there without noticing this on my last pass.

What I learned from the water was far more important than the little bag, but I also realized that the way I usually think about ‘what I should or shouldn’t do next’ isn’t necessarily very trustworthy. That second visit to the gardens was more important than the first, although I learned a lot both times.