A Word To The Wise

The old saying is, "A word to the wise is sufficient." I guess I proved I'm not one of the wise and it takes more than a word to get through to me.

A couple weeks ago my son said I should keep my Social Security card in a safe place and not carry it in my wallet. Someone whose Social Security card is lost or stolen is likely to have all kinds of trouble due to identify theft. If someone has your Social Security number they can do all kinds of business with it in your name. You cannot change your number for protection if the card is lost or stolen. The best you can do is to put a fraud alert on it and watch for suspicious activity. You very seldom need to show your card. All you need to do is memorize your number. Keep your number in your head and your card in a safe place. I agreed he's right but didn't take action.

When I checked in at the doctor yesterday I discovered my insurance card was missing. In fact, the entire pack of cards was missing. My drivers license, credit, and bank cards were in another part of my wallet and intact, but the other thingy with the insurance and Social Security cards was entirely missing. There were some other small cards in it that were not critical but I knew I'm in big trouble if my Social Security card fell into the wrong hands. I didn't remember when I had last used anything in that pack and feared I had lost it somewhere between here and South Dakota last month.

A day of searching and praying ended without finding my cards. This afternoon when I got in the car to go to the dentist I found the whole pack of cards in the door pocket on the drivers side, hiding behind a road map collected on the trip. Nothing was missing. I have no memory of when or how it got there. 

I vowed if and when I find it I will immediately take my Social Security card out of it and put it in a safe place. I kept my vow. 

A word to the wise may be sufficient but for me it took a good scare. I'm telling you this story in case you are carrying your card in your wallet. Don't! Be wise and put it in a safe place.