On losing these items, misplacing them, and how after so many of these things you’d lost, you’d finally, given up on trying to find ways to stop yourself from losing them, because some things are, meant to be, lost! Translated…
I’d been, scatterbrained since I was a young child, always left things all over the places, misplaced them, and my mother would always scold me, “if your head wasn’t attached to your neck, you’d lose that, too!”, such a scary image, what WAS my mother, thinking, about!
Actually, I really don’t want to misplace these items at all, but I’d really tried my best, for instance the umbrellas, when it rains, of course I would go out with one, and if the rain stopped before I go home, then, there’s only a ten-percent chance I’ll bring the umbrella I took with me, back, the rest, were all left, somewhere. I’d once spent a ton of money, and put in a lot of thoughts, and hard work too, to turn the habits of leaving my umbrellas behind the best I, could.
unfortunately, there’s no “lost and found” like this for you to search in…illustration from online
In my university years, heading up to the north after a long weekend, I passed through the major mall opposite of the Taipei Main Station, a thought came: “if I buy me a really expensive umbrella, then I won’t, lost, that!”, and so at the age of twenty, at the time when a bowl of simple noodle soup cost only ten dollars N.T., I’d purchased a really pretty, elegant Scottish red and green block patterned umbrella, with it over my head, it’d felt like I was, strutting through the campus of Oxford University.
The day following the purchase, I’d gone to a function out of my school, when I went to bed at night, I’d placed the umbrella on the bed, hugged it tight to go to, sleep. The student from other school who was a roommate couldn’t understand it, “Why would you need to hug your umbrella when you go to bed at night?” I’d ignored her. Nobody could understand my resolves of making sure that I don’t forget my umbrella! So long as I don’t separate myself from it, then, I won’t, lose, it.
The camp was really fun, I’d met a ton of new friends. Three days later, I’d returned back to the dorm, did my dirty laundry, hung them up, and something didn’t feel right to, me then. I’d thought for a very long while, then, it’d dawned on me: it’s my umbrella! It only took me three short days, for me, to lose that, high-end, umbrella!
Not long after that, I’d bought another yellow one, in the Wenhwha University where it always rained, it was like I’d owned my own, sun. And, just as would be expected, no brightly shone sun, it still got, misplaces somewhere, thanks to my, forgetfulness.
like…this…photo from online
And after that, I’d, stayed submerged for a very long time, and only purchase the cheapest umbrellas to use, to the point of accepting the umbrellas that my friends were tossing out but still, usable, so long as they sheltered me from the rain, so long as they were willing to stay with me, then I’d felt, more than, grateful for, them.
Until one day at Huashan Cultural Creations I saw a design, with the transparent surface and a rainbow painted across the umbrella, over the skylines of the city, with a cat leaping on it. This had my name written, all over it! I’d made my own way now, am more mature too, I shall, not lose this one! Swipe my card, please!
And surely, I’d, cherished this umbrella, once, there’s a typhoon, I’d had to, move my car someplace safe in the raging storms, I’d, grabbed an old, almost unusable umbrella, run out, my wife chased after me, propped open the umbrella for me, screamed aloud at me, “hey, use this one, it’s the functional one!”, I’d immediately grabbed the umbrella away from her, hugged it in my arms, scolded her, “this is a designer umbrella! It’s very expensive!”, and still, things aren’t supposed to stay with me for long, that umbrella I’d protected using my life, still, went, away.
On the matter of “losing my umbrellas”, I’d completely let them all of, the umbrellas, just like the water bottles, are all, consumables, no need to get the ones that are too expensive, if you lose one, just go to the super convenience stores, grab one that cheaper to use. Besides, nothing in the world is mine, love and responsibilities, are all, excessive.
And so, you’d tried everything to keep your umbrellas from getting lost, spent a ton of money on one, buying the cheaper ones so you won’t feel so bad when you’d lost them, and yet, in the very end, you’d still, lost them. Then, you’d finally, let yourself off the hook, because it’s JUST an umbrella, there’s NO need to get upset over it, and it’s not a matter of money you’d spent that’s upset you, but how you keep on, losing them, and you’d, finally accepted, that some things in life, you’re, meant to, lose…
Mirroring the World 