Is That a Voice in my Book Bag?

I jotted today's entry title down the other day as ,"note to self," and then forgot about it...until this morning.

As I was walking into the Faculty Courtyard at work today, a familiar voice started speaking. The voice was coming from inside my book bag. I don't know why this continues to surprise me almost daily. I remind myself of a young child whose face scrunches up in surprise, and then begins to clap with gleee, when - for the 97th-million time - a Jack-in-the-Box pops out of the tin container, after it's been wound to do so (and the child knows the lid is going to boing open and the clown is going to pop up).

Oh - I should fill you in: I've been carrying around a hand-held tape recorder so that whenever I get an idea for my thesis and don't have pen/paper around, or am in a position where I cannot write (when I'm driving, for example), I simply record my thoughts and ideas. I keep the recorder in a pocket inside my book bag. The thing is, whenever the recorder knocks into something, it turns on.

The first time the recorder went off in my bag, it threw me completely off guard. "Where is that voice coming from?...Hey - that's me! Whaaa...?!...Ohhhh! My tape recorder!" Silly me. And then, silly me again a whole bunch of times because I have a totally kick-butt forgetter, and it always takes me a moment when that recorder goes off, to figure out what exactly is going on.

Which brings me to two points...well, three: First, I give myself kudos for buying this handy little device, because though I don't use it a lot, I certainly use it enough that it helps me take some notes that I would plum foget about it if I didn't have it. Second, I really need to make time to begin transcribing my notes onto the computer (or it's going to be a royal pain in her Majesty's arse if I have to do a whole slew at once), and third: though it's a bit of a nuisance when that voice starts talking straight from my bag, I really appreciate the reminder. It's like having an awareness bell that drills me when I least expect it - "Are you thinking about your thesis, sweetie?" it chimes like a faithful clock tower (that doesn't clang at any particular set time).

So, to the voice in my book bag: thank you.