I am annoyed right now. Normally I love spending time getting to know my newest gadget but each push of the button on my new cell phone reminds me that my old cell phone was stolen out of my locker at the gym.

It is my fault because I should have known better. I normally lock everything in my van’s glove compartment but I forgot my phone in my pocket. But it is also their fault because people shouldn’t steal. Because I am a little obsessive on such things for the past day and a half I have been trying to reconstruct my contact lists, my files, my playlists, my apps, and getting everything looking the way I like it. I have also been changing every password for every account that I can think of that was linked to my cell phone. I am not done yet. I won’t ever really be done. Some of what I lost will never return.

To the person who stole my phone I want to tell you something. I want to tell you that you thought you were stealing a phone but you really stole so much more from me. You stole;

My Time- You have forced me to spend a day and a half trying to repair and restore my on-line accounts, and set up my hardware. Like I said I am not done I suspect it will take me the better part of a week for me to get things as fixed as I can.

My Sense Of Being A Nice Guy- My cell phone provider like all cell phone providers only do things for you if a) you are willing to pay them a lot of money or b) you get really mad at them, talk very firmly to the point to yelling, suggest that they are terrible human beings, talk about canceling, explain why you are the best person in the world, and why you deserve to keep what you already have. I don’t like being that guy. I was a massive jerk on the phone yesterday to the point I think I ruined like three people’s days because of you.

My Memories- Ever since I had a memory card die on me for no good reason I have been pretty good at backing up my pictures and music. But there were things I couldn’t back up. My sim card (the same sim card I have had for 14 years) contained the first text messages Meghan and I sent each other. I liked reading them from time to time because they were like little digital love notes that circled our first few dates. On the hard days that marriage brings they reminded me of where we started and how we got here.

My Sense Of Community- I have been really enjoying the gym this time around. I have liked working out and I have been enjoying the slow process of getting to know some people who go there often. But those feelings are damaged instead of a place of security and trust where I can get to know people, I feel I am walking into a den of thieves.

You stole more from me than just a cellphone. A two year old, starting to have technical problems, currently disabled and blacklisted from all mobile providers cellphone. I doubt by stealing it you gained anything at all. And if you did I doubt it was much. But you stole plenty from me. Thanks jerk. I hope your mom is proud of you.