Finding lost things

We all lose things occasionally. Here are some techniques for finding them again (the entire article with some slight cuts):

What to do if you’ve lost a wallet 

Look up your last credit card transaction, and then go to the place where you last spent the money and look around there.

Watch things fall as you drop them 

I have trained myself to watch things fall when I drop them. If you watch a small screw fall and see where it lands and bounces, you will have no trouble finding it. If you just look at the place where the screw was supposed to go and growl and curse, expect to have trouble finding it.

Don’t ever put it in a “special place”

The worst possible thing to do is to place something of value in a “special place” that is “easy to remember” for “safekeeping.” Ha! Definitely not recommended.

Use a flashlight 

I find a flashlight to be a useful search aid, day or night. The beam forces me to focus on a limited area. It helps me see, instead of just looking. Held near the floor, it makes things shine.

A girlfriend once lost her contact outdoors, in a driveway, with snow on the ground. I waited until after dark and then quickly found the contact in a snow pile at the edge of the street.

Start cleaning

My mother taught me this tip: When you cannot find something, clean up and you will find it. I often find the item when I’m picking up something to put it back in its proper place.

Check favorite hangout spots

Go to the places you hang out most and look there first. Do you have a favorite place you sit on the sofa? Look through the cushions and under and behind the sofa. Do you hang out on the patio? Look in between seats and chairs or on tables outdoors.

Make a mental note of something you’re likely to lose 

I make a mental note when I put something down — like my keys, glasses or phone — in a place I do not usually put it. It is akin to underlining or highlighting something in writing to help make it easier to remember.

Come back to it 

Take a break from looking for your missing object and relax or do something else. Without worrying and fussing, your brain will quietly surprise you with a stored memory that will suddenly pop into your consciousness and lead you to the missing object.

Look carefully in the most obvious place

Look in the most likely place it should be. Most of the time, it’s there. You just overlooked it.

Make sure you know what it looks like

Numerous times, my wife has sent me to get something in the basement, and I can’t find it at first because she told me the wrong color, container or location. Make sure you know the correct characteristics, or you may easily overlook what you are looking for.

Article (750 words): https://www.npr.org/2025/01/07/g-s1-37741/how-to-quickly-find-something-you-lost-10-clever-practical-techniques. This includes a link to another article on finding things.

Good news from Fix the News: Murder and shooting rates are dropping:

London recorded 97 homicides in 2025, pushing the city’s homicide rate to 1.1 per 100,000 – the lowest level since current records began. Metropolitan Police. 

New York City just recorded the lowest number of shootings in its history. There were 688 shooting incidents in 2025, the lowest total ever, while murders dropped 20.2% year-on-year and major crime declined 3% overall. CBS News

US cities where murder rates fell to all-time lows in 2025
San Francisco / Detroit / Baltimore / Chicago / Philadelphia / Oakland / Fresno / Modesto / Newark / Bridgeport / Providence / Richmond.

And an image from my collection (if you are not familiar with the Flying Spaghetti Monster… go here and learn the joys of becoming a Pastafarian):