I've had this same plain little mood ring since I was 9 or 10 years old and have worn it faithfully since age 11. It's not big, it's once-silver edges are long turned brass, it makes my finger green, and it rarely gets my mood right, but it's been through a lot. It went through Mock Trial with me, survived my first trip to Disney World, stayed securely on my finger through practicum after practicum. (That is my exact mood ring...well, what it used to look like :D)
Also as some of you might know, I'm huge on memories. I get attached to things faster than you can say "carpe diem", and sentimental value is a big deal to me. I "love" this little mood ring. I always make sure I know exactly where it is, which is saying a lot for absent-minded me. If I notice it's not on my finger, I stop whatever I'm doing and find it. My family and friends know that when I say, "WAIT! I've lost my mood ring", they'd better freeze right there.Ellie B and I joke that when I get married, there will be a ceremonial Removing of the Mood Right (yes, I wear it on my left ring-finger).
I have another ring that's a wrap-around butterfly that I got at this awesome place called Great Wolf Lodge a little over a year ago. I wear it on my right middle finger, and it's also one of my "default rings". I love that ring, too because I built lots of cool memories at GWL, but my mood ring is still #1. (The ring below is pretty much exactly what the butterfly ring looks like, but the outer lines are gold on mine and the jewels that make up the body are smaller and "diamonds".)
For Mulan, however, we were all told that we weren't allowed to wear any jewelry. (I didn't really realize that meant my rings at first; I just don't ever wear any other jewelry, and my rings just feel like part of my hands.) It finally recognized the problem just before the Stage Manager called "places" for the opening night show. Yikes! I took them off and stuck them with my stuff.As the cast headed to the after party, I rummaged around in my stuff to grab my rings; my fingers feel completely awkward and naked without them. I was spending the night with someone, though, so my things were already packed in the trunk. I went to the cast party without them, and sort of forgot.
Every day after that, I would think, "Dang, I have to remember to put my rings back on!" That way of thinking went on for about a week; you know how I am, it takes me a while to ever actually get around to anything. I eventually did get around to it, and put my rings back on. That was short lived, though, because I was about to get in the shower. I took them off again.
Since I'd been out of the habit of wearing them for a week, I forgot to put my rings back on. As I was lying in bed that night, the lack of metal circles around my fingers was starting to bug me. Don't you hate it when you're lying in bed, cozy and half-asleep, and realize you've forgotten something? *sigh* I went to get my rings.
They...weren't on the bathroom counter.
Maybe they were in my hairbrush/makeup/etc. drawer? Nope.
Ohh, maybe I was crazy and never put them back on from Mulan. They were probably in my makeup bag...No, not there either...
Well, I had put on lotion, and I take them off to do that. Maybe they were with my lotion bottles?
No.
On my desk! That must be it.
Nothing.
On my pillows next to my bed?
Nada.
On the bathroom cabinet?
No there either.
WHERE WERE MY RINGS?????
By this time, if you can imagine this, I'm tearing through all of downstairs, frantically searching. I'm kind of OCD, so when I decide I'm going to be irritated until I find something, I am. Everything seems worse at midnight, too XD
Well, after searching every conceivable place forty times, I decided I would HAVE to wait until morning.
The frantic searching continued for days until I finally gave up :( I must have lost the rings at play practice after all. They weren't in my makeup bad, or any other possible place. I was really upset :'(
Saturday, you know, was the last performance of Mulan. That was depressing. On top of that, as we were all walking to the car, someone said something that reminded me of my missing rings. The day was quickly going downhill.
I grouchily yanked bobby pins out of my bun and stuffed them in my makeup pouch. O.O
Hey.
Was that...?
MY BUTTERFLY RING!! Hallelujah! And the mood ring must be right with it! I joyously ran my hand through the makeup pouch.
Are you kidding me.
No mood ring.
It must have fallen out.
Well, that joy was short lived. I was thrilled about having my butterfly ring back, but my real pride and joy was still AWOL. Whatever.
Dejected once again, I flung open the car door.
*draw drop*
Unbelievable.
There, on the floor of the car, sat my faithful mood ring.
How did it get there? How was my butterfly ring in my makeup pouch, for another thing? I *KNOW* I searched in there before. And why was my mood ring sitting on the floor? It shouldn't have been in the makeup pouch to get on the floor in the first place...
What can I say? I'm just lucky like that :)
This has been another episode of "FORTUNA KENDRAE!"
English translation: Kendra's Luck ;)
Until next time,
