I forgot to put the bins out and took it more personally than I should have

Dear Delyara, I remembered at half six this morning when I heard the bin lorry three streets away and realized ours were still by the side gate. For about ten seconds I felt that irrational sinking feeling as if this small oversight proved something larger and uglier about me. That is what tiredness does. It turns manageable mistakes into character studies. In reality, it means next week we’ll have to fit more in and the kitchen bin will fill too quickly. Annoying, yes. But the speed with which my mind moved from “I forgot” to “I am slipping” told me a lot more about my current state than about the bins. I made breakfast, tied shoelaces, packed bags, and carried on. Still, that one missed collection stayed in my chest longer than it deserved.