Vain Loss

Something bad happened to me a moment ago.

I found a book I’ve been looking for for a while now and bought it with little hesitation even though it cost around 72US$ (that is around R600!). (It's cheaper on Amazon, but would have cost my around the same shipping included.) The book is Marc Tedeschi’s Taekwondo: Traditions, Philosophy, Technique. I already have Tedeschi’s Hapkido: Traditions, Philosophy, Technique, which is just about the best book on the subject, so I was very keen to get his Taekwon-Do edition and add it to my martial art library.

Getting of the subway train, as the doors closed behind me, the damning realization of supreme idiocy spilled over me like red wine over a white shirt during a first date. I forgot the book on the train, on the overhead ledge above my seat. Immediately I ran to the station office and asked them to call the next station, which they did, but they couldn’t find my book. If I knew it would remedy the problem I would slap myself. It won’t, but I am beaten up by the mere thought of my negligence. It is not that I’m terrible broken hearted about the book, I haven’t had it long enough to be sentimental about it; it is replaceable. I am, however, distraught over losing R600. As we say in South Africa, that kind of money is not loose change.

I gave them my phone number, my email address and a thorough description of the book, still in bubble wrap, in a paper bag with “What the Book?” printed on it. I can only hope that I get it back . . . such things actually do happen in Korea.