Short Story

The Panic Button

Nancy's Notes šŸ–ŠļøšŸŽ¶

Yesterday, as I was driving up into the gated parking lot of a medical facility, I was faced with a dilemma: from my position in the driverā€™s seat, I was unable to reach the OPEN BUTTON.  I stretched as far as I could, with no luck. Finally, I opened my door just a bit, reached out and successfully pushed the button. I closed my door, drove through the now open gate and went in search of a parking spot.

I found a spot quickly and, since we were early, my husband and I stayed in the car for a few minutes chatting. When I reached for my purse, my heart sank and I felt sick to my stomach. My purse wasnā€™t where I always keep it ā€¦. tucked into the space between my seat and the driverā€™s door. Iā€™m sure you see where this is going. Yes, when I opened my car door to push the button which opens the security gate, I didnā€™t realize my purse had fallen out of the car!

Thank goodness I immediately figured out what happened and Bill took the short walk to the parking lot entrance to make sure my purse was still there. It was gone and when he returned empty handed, I almost pushed the panic button. Just like most women, my life is in my purse. Itā€™s not big but inside was my cell phone, my wallet with my ID, driverā€™s license, insurance cards, credit cards and cash. My car key, a pen, lip gloss and Advil are also inside the purse. Not a lot of things but very important things. In fact, some are vital.

I tried to stay calm as Bill went into the lobby of the building to check with the security guard at the front desk. Against all odds, he had my purse in a box beneath his desk; nothing was missing. Bill had to sign for it and when he brought my purse back to me in the parking lot, I thought I would cry with relief.

All this transpired in the course of 10 minutes. Incredible good fortune which could have gone south just as easily and I was reminded of the classic line by Blanche DuBois from ā€œStreetcar Named Desireā€ about the kindness of strangers. Whoever the person was who found my purse and turned it in to the front desk, I thank them with my whole being. They saved my life today and if that sounds like a ridiculous exaggeration, just think about what it would be like piecing everything together and then try not to push the panic button.

NARĀ©2024

This is the Kinks with ā€œStrangersā€

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38 thoughts on “The Panic Button”

      1. No kidding. I had mine stolen from the car (they broke into it) as we were hiking. Believe it or not, they took whatever and threw it out the window. Someone else found it and looked me up! Had his friend deliver it (where it was, was a 2-hour drive away). Sometimes, good things happen. There were missing a few things that fell out as it was tossed, unfortunately.

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    1. Absolutely! I must say, my heart really sank when my husband came back empty handed the first time but I was filled with such relief and gratitude when he returned from the security desk with my purse. ā¤ļøŽ

      There are good people out there; it’s up to us to pay it forward!ā€‚ā‡¢ā‡¢ā‡¢

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  8. Hubby’s wallet fell out of his pocket in the hospital car park and we didn’t notice. We were inside for over an hour and a half before we discovered it was missing. He walked back to the car and it was under the front wheel in shadow, so nobody had seen it. He now ha a chain and clip to attach it to his inside coat zip.

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  11. You should probably find a new place for your purse. Blanche speaks to the doctor in Scene Eleven, form Blancheā€™s final statement in the play. She perceives the doctor as the gentleman rescuer for whom she has been waiting since arriving in New Orleans. Blancheā€™s final comment is ironic for two reasons. First, the doctor is not the chivalric Shep Huntleigh type of gentleman Blanche thinks he is. Second, Blancheā€™s dependence ā€œon the kindness of strangersā€ rather than on herself is the reason why she has not fared well in life. In truth, strangers have been kind only in exchange for sex. Otherwise, strangers like Stanley, Mitch, and the people of Laurel have denied Blanche the sympathy she deserves. Blancheā€™s final remark indicates her total detachment from reality and her decision to see life only as she wishes to perceive it.

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    1. After all these years, that’s the first time my purse has fallen out but finding a new place for it is a good idea.

      Nice Streetcar synopsis; very accurate. Karl Malden was under-rated. His films like this one, On The Waterfront, Birdman of Alcatraz and the ones he did with Bette Davis are terrific.

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  14. My father used to say in situations like this, ā€œYou got a flucky.ā€ What, you ask, is a ā€œfluckyā€? It was his way of saying ā€œYou got off lucky,ā€ but the way he said it, it sounded like he was saying, ā€œYou got a flucky.ā€

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