ID tags

A few years ago when I started running, back in the days when I did it for purely exercise and before I discovered the joys of numismatizing, Athena and Eris presented me with this dog tag. The little golden medallion is engraved with my name, address and phone number. On the pink nylon ribbon is written We Love You. BJJA?, the faded initials of my grandchildren (pre-Littlest).

I think my girls were worried that if I ended up smashed on the street there would be no way to identify me other than the top-secret decoder which is now gone. (I still miss it sometimes.) I wore the tag around my ankle every time I tied on my running shoes until last year when I forgot a few times and then got out of the habit. I started wearing it again this morning.

When I am on the streets I travel light, no Ipod, money or ID of any kind. Occasionally there are car keys in my pocket when I have driven to the pool parking lot and started from there.

Yesterday morning I had an experience that has prompted me to carry one more thing. As I was finishing up my ralk and had pretty much cleaned up the drive-thrus, parking lots and streets I noticed a fellow in front of me who was obviously looking for coins. He had an old coat and backpack on and I assumed he was homeless. I was near my car so I ran back to grab a stashed $5 bill hoping to buy him breakfast at McDs. I forgot that I had taken everything out of the car the day before when it was being serviced. He disappeared before I could get back to him. I felt bad all day about it.

This morning the first thing I did was to purchase some cards. I'll carry one in my right pocket (left is for found coinage) and be prepared next time.

$.72