Guys, Brains Are Important

Brains are important and I shouldn't be allowed to go out of the house when mine is out of commission. I especially shouldn't do anything requiring competence. . . That usually ends up going poorly for me. Take today for example!

I woke up sick. My head felt like my brain was hiding in a corner just out of reach and that an angry construction worker was going to town with a jackhammer in my skull. And then, of course, my skin didn't want ANYTHING touching it which was difficult because I had to go be a real person today. Well, kind of.

I made it to my English class on time and I even did my French homework before class. However, by the time French rolled around I knew I would be useless in the class. I sent my homework with a classmate and meandered home. I knew I needed to rest up before taking on my French test I had later tonight.

Well I slept until my phone woke me up and then I decided that then was as good a time as any to take the test (as illnesses usually get worse, not better, as evening approaches). I dragged myself out of the apartment, hated the warmth of the sun on my sensitive skin the entire walk up, and considered laying down on the hill leading up to campus (I'm dramatic when I don't feel well, guys).

Anyways, I made it to the testing center, signed up for my test, and walked in to brave the inevitable storm looming ahead.

Something unique about the Humanities testing center is that you trade your BYU ID card for scratch paper and you get your ID card after you're done with your test. As I was waiting to get my scratch paper stamped I noticed that my phone was sitting on the table next to my ID card. I grabbed my phone and put it with the rest of my stuff before sitting down to take my test.

Forty minutes later a girl was missing her phone. Remember that my brain isn't working properly (and that I'm directing all of my smarts toward the test) before judging me on my next actions.

I realized that the phone I had grabbed earlier may not have been mine, but I wasn't sure if I was allowed to leave my desk while I was taking a test. I figured I would just check the phone after I was done and see if I'd mistakenly grabbed someone else's phone under the impression that it was my own.

Well the situation escalated over the next forty-five minutes. I finished my exam a few minutes after the campus police showed up. I exchanged my scratch paper for my ID and went over to my things. There, on top of my backpack was a phone that was the same model as mine, but in a different phone case. I then remembered that I had silenced my phone and put it in my backpack just before walking into the testing center.

With a good dose of embarrassment I walked over to the desk with the testing center people and the policeman with the phone. I told them, "I thought this was my phone and it's not. I am so sorry."

They thanked me for returning it and assured me that it was fine when I asked if I'd caused a problem (I obviously had, but they were too nice to tell me so).

And THAT, my dear friends, is the "brain" with which I took one of the most challenging tests of my life. Brains are important, everyone. Brains are important.