However carefully we look after our possessions, we are bound to have a lapse that distracts us and makes us lose awareness of our surroundings. Personally, I have not lost many things in my life. Opportunities, perhaps? I have lost intangible things of great importance, and their loss had a profound effect on me. Material things had not been among those losses. However important or valuable material things may be, they can never equal the intangible. Everything material has its own expiry date. Sooner or later, time will leave it behind.
As for intangible things, history can grant them the immortality they deserve, until they depart and everything goes with them. So do not withhold a word whose effect on those around you you cannot know, or act without considering other people's feelings. A single word can destroy a dream or build a nation, give life to a child or bring down a man, raise a monument or ruin a land. They are all words, and words have their own magic. Be careful when you speak.
Recently, I took several taxis in Dubai on the same day. For quite some time, I have made a habit of collecting the receipt, both as a record and as a precaution in case I lose something. This latest incident proved its value. I had even told a friend, as we got out of a taxi, how important it was to get a receipt. He said he had never asked for one in his life. I took several taxis that day. When the last one brought me to a visit, the person welcoming me wondered why I was waiting. I explained that I was waiting for the receipt and that, for years, I had never left without one, in case I lost a possession, God forbid. And indeed, I left my wallet in that taxi. I did not notice immediately, but only after some time. How remarkable: after giving that advice, I found myself in exactly the situation I had warned others about.
I contacted the Roads and Transport Authority and described what I had lost, along with precise trip details that I would not have known without the receipt, such as the driver's and vehicle's information. Within minutes, I received a reassuring call: my wallet had been found, and the driver was willing to bring it to me. I contacted the driver and arranged it with him. Yes, you are in the United Arab Emirates. May God preserve this blessing of safety and security.