Mickey just doesn’t feel the same...

It feels strange not wearing jewelry, but for my work I have to remove it all. No necklaces, earrings, watches, fit bits, and no rings, even wedding rings. It could fall into product or get stuck on something and you could say good bye to your finger or your hand.  

My neck and finger feel little naked and I think I pull my ears more now making sure the holes are still there.  The one good thing is that not being able to wear earrings at work means that my addiction to buying earrings has been cut short, I still buy, but now it’s one or two pair instead of five, and even when I do buy it’s not every time there is new stuff.

Earrings are not why we are here today, my ring is. It is something I’ve worn for years and almost never taken off.  It fits like a glove, and almost everyday at work I try and feel for it on an empty hand.  

Every morning I take the ring off while I get ready, leave it next to my keys and it comes with me to work.  Besides no jewelry, we also change into uniforms, so I have a couple lockers to leave personal belongings and my street clothes in during the day. The ring goes in the locker, usually surrounded by an extra hair tie or two and stays there until I change to leave for the day. 

Today though I’m not sure what happened. Got to work early (as usual), changed and went to sit in the break room for a few minutes before I needed to start, looked down at my hand and thought hmm, did I leave the ring in my locker? 

Did I hear it drop as I was leaving the apartment? Did I leave it in the shower? Is it still on the counter? Where is the ring? Did I drive with it on today? Did it fall out of the locker? Did I accidentally kick it out the front door? Would it have gotten under the couch? 

After a long day of work, here is what I know. It is not in the bathroom, nor at the front door. It isn’t easily visible under the couch, it wasn’t outside the front door. It was with the spare hair ties in my locker. I don’t think I drove to work with it, but I can’t be sure.  The ring was not easily found when I came home, but does not mean it’s not here.  Our new kitten loves playing with small things such as earrings (and I’m hoping rings) and knocking them from room to room, so there is hope.  I don’t have energy to do too much of a deeper search tonight, but come this weekend closer floors will be cleared, furniture will be moved and that Irish ring will be found if it is here. 

Until then I have a replacement holding its spot, not making my finger feel naked. It’s not exactly the same size, shape or feel, but it might be the closest.  Sorry Mickey, you just don’t feel the same.