Don't Leave Home Without It

Recently, I did something I haven't done in years - left the house without a Filofax. My Personal Finchley Filo doubles as my wallet, so it's always with me...in my handbag, in my gym bag, in my briefcase or laptop case, beside me on my desk, or occasionally hand-carried when I go out to lunch at work and don't want to carry my whole briefcase.

But this time, I was going to a stadium concert, and I decided not to carry a handbag. It would slow me down by needing to be searched once or twice on my way into the stadium, and would end up digging into my shoulder all night because I wouldn't feel safe putting it down anywhere.

I decided to travel light...really light. No bag, and since it was a warm summer night, no jacket. Nowhere to put a Filofax. I carried my ID and one credit card in one front jeans pocket, some cash on the other side. An index card with driving directions to the parking location we had decided to use in a back pocket. And a couple of tissues folded flat in the other back pocket (which turned out to come in handy as my husband couldn't find a napkin for his hot dog). After all, I wouldn't really need my Filofax during a concert, right?

Wrong. First of all, the woman standing next to me brought a digital SLR and was taking some great pictures. She offered to email them to me if I gave her my address. So there I was, sans pen and paper. I was able to use the back of the index card, and the camera woman had a pen, so it all worked out in the end. But the point is, I had come perilously close to being without a way to give someone my email address. (The woman had not only brought a camera, she brought a big canvas tote bag and left it on her seat throughout the concert while she wandered around taking pictures, so that may be a lesson for me. No one bothered her bag.)

Also, my Filofax would have enabled me to write down the set list. I wanted to be able to remember the songs, and I'm terrible at memorizing set lists. I have a very memory, but song titles are one kind of information I find it hard to retain, probably because my brain is too busy listening to the music itself.

I've decided I need to add a Pocket Slimline or Mini Filo to my arsenal. And I really should have worn at least a light jacket in case it got chilly later on. That way, I'd have a jacket pocket for the Filo.

And I already know which one I'd like it to be: The Special Edition Pocket with Swarovsky crystals! http://www.filofax.co.uk/

Disclaimers:
- The link will expire when Filofax discontinues the model or changes its website.
- The image is from the Filofax UK website.