Always check every pocket when doing laundry.

I assume that’s one of the top five vital instructions to beginners. It certainly had to be something moms learned from their mothers.

I also assume this rule involved mostly men’s clothing. History and observation have taught me that women have little use for pockets. And why should they when they carry luggage wherever they go?

But in a young boy’s pockets? Well, you never know what you might find. I’m sure my mother was not pleased with some discoveries. I have always used my pockets as portable treasure chests. They carried things of great importance. Those things have changed, though, over time. (I don’t carry a comb anymore.)

I had these thoughts while emptying my pockets before tossing jeans into the laundry basket. I always have something pocketed, but it’s not the same as it used to be.

My pockets tell a little story about me, I guess. There are few surprises now. I’m retired ... aka boring. But it still tells a story. From the right front, I pull out my pocket knife. Small, sharp and used often – especially for opening gifts or those boxes dropped on the front step. I take it everywhere. It’s a habit. A bad habit if you’re stopped in the security line at the airport. Had to buy a new knife after that stupid mistake.

Then I pull a few coins from the left front pocket. Doesn’t happen often. I used to always carry change. No need now. Most change comes from a fast-food drive-up. I leave the coins in one of the trays in my truck console. Coins in my pocket end up in a collection jar at home.

I might pull out gas or food receipts, a small screw found on the patio, or a key. Nothing that stays like the knife, except the right back pocket always has a white handkerchief. This habit dates back many years and has proven useful many times. (Don’t bother arguing with me about Kleenex vs. hankies.) And the left back pocket holds my wallet with driver’s license and plastic money and would you believe … cash.

Sometimes what I wear depends on the pockets that come with it. Because there are two more essentials now that must be carried besides the wallet: the cellphone and cheaters or glasses that I might need to read menus.

Both are irritating, especially the glasses. There are few comfortable options and I see them all tested by others. Glasses shoved up onto the forehead, glasses tucked in between buttonholes on the shirt or bulging in a pocket on the shirt or dangling from something like a necklace. They fit OK into a coat pocket, but not easily into my jeans pocket. So I often slide one of the “arms” into a front pocket and carry the glasses like a sidearm. Like I said … irritating.

The cellphone I slide into the right rear pocket til I am seated and can drop it on the table or whatever. Or if I am wearing a coat, I love those inside pockets that offer easy drop and pull. The pocket on the inside of jackets, or a suit or sport coat are the best. Many times over the years, I would whip out my Reporter’s Notebook, ready for action. (Ha. Maybe it’s the kid in me that loves pockets.)

My pockets definitely were much more interesting during my years as an editor at the local newspaper. The shirt pocket always carried a pen or two. And paper was shoved into a pocket, so anytime I had an idea, I could jot it down. My pockets were full – shirt and pants – with bits of paper. They ended up scattered across the office and our house.

I carry paper and pen now and then and still love shoving that notebook into an inside pocket. But often I just peck notes into my ever-present phone. My pockets now reflect a less hectic life. They are more stay-at-home pockets.

I’m always ready, though, in case someone in the room hollers, “Anyone got a knife?”

• Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, also was a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet in the 1970s. His PaperWork email is lonnyjcain@gmail.com. Or mail the NewsTribune, 426 Second St., La Salle IL 61301.