essential items

What essential items do you go for when the fire alarm goes off at 2am and you have to evacuate your building?

Laptop, of course. Handbag. Wallet, with my drivers license in it. Keys. Bible. Important papers. Softball.

Softball. When did that creep into my list of highly can't-bear-to-part-with, irreplaceable items? Did I mention it was 2 in the morning? It was also the ball I had won on Friday night for pitching a winning softball game. Now that's irreplaceable. Sitting down with my grandchildren fifty years from now telling them the story of my grand achievement would just not be the same without this ball to show for it.

Good thing the alarm was only for a burst water pipe, and not a real fire. Or I might be looking kind of sheepish.