by Anura Guruge
on October 10, 2021
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What are the chances of finding a phone that you accidently lost, during a fall — on your own, at dusk, on a gnarly wooded trail?
Well I did. Much to my amazement, against odds stacked against I. I am areligious. But, I kind of attribute this to a huge backlog of good karma. (SMILE) I still can’t believe I found it. But, I did.
Here is the story …. THE MIRACLE at ‘Cutler Coast’, Maine.
It was last Sunday, October 3, 2021. I was on my way to Lubec for a 4-night trip to my beloved ‘Bold Coast‘. I had left home, in New Hampshire, at 7:20am, & was slowly meandering my way up. It was close to 3.30pm when I got to ‘Cutler Coast‘. I was going to do a quick amble to the coast, along the ‘Coastal Trail’, get some pictures & head back. As the 2nd & 3rd photos testify I indeed managed to do that. I made good progress.
On the way back, not that far from the coast, one of my feet got caught on an exposed, raised tree root & I fell. Not too badly. No harm, no pain. I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Since it was already getting dark I had my sunglasses tucked into the sweatshirt at my neck & my Google Pixel 5 phone in the ‘hand warmer’ pocket. The sunglasses went flying, to my right, when I fell. I saw & felt that. I poked around, found them & tucked them back. I thought I was FINE. (I wasn’t.)
I got to the car just ahead of 5pm. I was happy. Bar the small fall it had been a great amble. I was going to get a drink. I wanted to take some pictures of the car park. I patted my pocket for my phone.
NO PHONE!
NO PHONE!
I looked all over. Checked the boot of the car. Then the reality sunk in.
It too must have fallen out when I fell.
Would I be able to find it?
There were three empty cars in the car park. I had no one with me — NOR another phone with an active service. So, I could NOT call my phone to see IF I could hear it ring. My Garmin watch does have a ‘Find Phone’ option — but it was stating (quite correctly) that my phone was not in range.
It was now past 5pm. My watch told me sunset was at 6:30pm. I just had time to hike the trail again.
And that is what I did.
Along the ‘flat’ parts & those with boardwalks, I galloped. I didn’t amble. I was running. I got towards the end of the trail. I could see the coast through the trees. I knew I had gone far enough. I turned back.
I started closely studying the green scrub to the right of the trail. My glasses had flown to the right & I had a hunch that my phone too must have flown in the same direction.
I got myself a stout stick. I started beating down the brush on the side with it as I walked. I didn’t have to go far.
I SAW IT!
Given my advanced age & that I don’t share it much, I CANNOT remember my cell phone number! So, I have it written on a bright green strip of fluorescent green so that I can get t it when I need. As luck/karma would have it, my phone had fallen face down. The back of the phone, with the fluorescent green label, was facing me. The fluorescent green label made it stick out. I FOUND IT.
I can’t tell you I relieved I was.
It was indeed a MIRACLE.
Tons & tons of accumulated good karma.
THE MIRACLE at ‘Cutler Coast’, Maine.
