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At some point during the summer I lost my backpack; the strap that held it on my bicycle rack got loose which I failed to notice. Never seen it again. In the backpack, among other things, were my work laptop and some documents, including my passport. Rather unpleasant: out of the blue, a whole lot of hassle trying to recover everything.

Here’s what’s interesting: when my colleagues found out about my misfortune, they all sympathized, saying in unison that “the computer is nothing to worry about, restoring the documents is what’s most unpleasant and tedious.” Every government employee, from police officers to clerks, on the other hand, told me with authority that “restoring the documents is a piece of cake; losing expensive corporate equipment is serious concern.” Comparing these two reactions, I came to the conclusion that, in fact, neither of them is really something to worry about.

Which is exactly how things turned out in the end.