Observation as a Superpower

My daughters and I spent the night in a hotel. In the morning, I wanted my eye drops, and my younger daughter wanted a Tums. I knew I had packed them; they were both in the same small travel bag. I knew that I had laid the bag out, somewhere convenient, anticipating that I would want one or both of those things.

But in the dark, still sleep-fuddled, I could not find it. I turned on the too-bright flashlight on my phone, trying to look through bags and drawers without waking my older daughter. I went through the room twice.

Eventually, I found the bag right where I had left it: on the nightstand, next to my phone.

Sometimes even mom can’t find the thing that is right in plain sight.

Maybe this is why some of our superheroes are Sherlock Holmes, or Emily Prentiss and the profilers of the BAU. Sometimes the ability to see what’s right in front of us feels like a superpower.