Sad news

An 82-year-old local gentleman suffering from dementia who has been missing since October 11th has been found by hunters deceased in his vehicle 165 miles west of Dallas.  He left home to go to David's Meats (my butcher) and was never seen again.  No foul play was ever suspected.  A "Silver Alert" was promptly issued statewide without success.

While I didn't know him, I knew his son....he went to school with my brother....and his wife worked for my CPA.  Both were wonderful people.  It's hard to imagine someone wandering off and dying like that all alone, probably cold and hungry.

He was "old school" and didn't have a cell phone which might have been used to locate him. Likewise he had a GM SUV, but wasn't a subscriber to their Onstar service, which could have also been used to track him.  I wonder why the family couldn't have agreed to immediately begin service, allowing Onstar to flip an activation switch and then find him?  It obviously doesn't work like that, but it should.

How come we have drones flying at 30,000 feet that can identify a particular terrorist among thousands of other people, our NSA can identify a particular phone conversation anywhere in the world, there are cameras on every corner that can be pulled up to review every crime scene, and yet we can't find a missing person cruising aimlessly down a state highway in North Texas?

I guess the thing to take away from this is every elderly person should have at least a cell phone with them at all times so they can call for help, or in reverse help can find them.

S

Something else that really chaps my hide

Yesterday I experienced something that really chapped my hide.  Ironically, the source of my aggravation was.....ME.  

The scene:  I was on my way to work and had just exited the freeway.  I was sitting at a red light when I grabbed for my cell phone and couldn't find it.  My phone is usually in a case on my belt, but it wasn't there.  Or on the seat beside me.  Or on my car's console.  That could only mean one thing:

*scary music*

I left my phone at home.  

Ooooooh noooooo!

I felt absolutely lost.  It would be like a cop going to work without his gun, or a banker going to work without his mask.

It never really dawned on me how dependent I am on my cell phone.  It's my ONLY phone. Like about half the population I gave up my land line years ago, relying just on my cell.   I make personal calls, business calls, read and send emails....I even use it as a flashlight.  

It gets worse....I have an extensive directory of several hundred names on my phone, both personal friends and business associates, and without that directory my phone is little more than a shiny, sleek rock.  I couldn't call K, my bro, Cellphone Users Anonymous, or anyone.  I didn't know their phone numbers.  I was thinking of calling 911 just to talk to someone.

Finally my bro came out to our jobsite where he found me pacing aimlessly.  He went back and brought me our old office flip phone, but again, without email or my directory of contacts, it was of little use. 

It was one miserable day.  :(

S