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The Things We Keep
Keys. When is the last time you gave any thought to all those metal tokens you have? The average person carries around a lot of them; we rarely go anywhere without at least one. A life void of keys is a difficult thing to imagine.
Every key represents something we want to keep safe. Money. Cars. Houses. Belongings. At hospitals, visitors are locked out of the Intensive Care Unit to protect the patients. At prisons, criminals are locked in to protect the innocent. In a digital world, metal turns to codes and passwords, but no matter the scenario, the whole process comes down to the key.
Alot of Keys
The quintessential example of a person with many keys is the janitor. His or her salary may be at the low end of the scale, but if status were measured in keys, the janitor would be tops.
Even some non-janitorial citizens like to dangle their entire key collection off their hip, presumably for attention or recognition or just because they want instant access to all their possessions -- at any given time -- without the need to search for a key.
A Single Key
Carrying only a single key represents a simplistic life, whether it be a youth with just a house key or an adult who wants to travel light.
Lost Keys
Appreciation for keys quickly returns the moment we cannot find the one we need.
Unknown Keys
From past apartments to old cars, who doesn't posses at least one key that has lost its lock? We hold on to every straggler because a key is too valuable a thing to toss.
Sharing Keys
I thought about keys as I asked the hardware store clerk to cut me a copy of one. Sharing a key is big deal. Take for example lovers. A key to one's place represents a relationship milestone - a commitment wherein they've decided to start sharing a life together.
It's not always easy to hand over a key, but we should resist the temptation to hoard them because life is more meaningful when we share.
Symbolic Keys
Every time you touch a key, give thanks for whatever it unlocks. Remember the homeless who have no house key. Appreciate the freedom of driving a car. When a friend gives you a key to watch her house or care for his pet, be grateful for their trust -- a borrowed key means earned responsibility.
Some of the best things in life come when locks are opened. Let us remember then how wonderful it is to have the key.
This entry was posted on January 3rd, 2012 at 09:13:00 am by The Write Beat and is filed under Possessions, About the Author, Gratitude, Responsibility.
Tags: cars, freedom., gratitude, houses, keys, locks, possessions, prisioners, responsibility, sharing, thanks
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2 comments
If anybody needs a key just ask. I have hundreds of them which have lost their locks. Never thrown a key out because you never know when it may be reunited with it's counterpart, or possibly a new mate all together.As for carrying keys around, no thanks! For me, locks may as well be open, or on buttons since all my keys are probably either in the lock or stashed within a couple feet. I find they're a lot less likely to get lost that way! If I do lose one, it's just that, only one, and not my entire life's worth. It's also very rewarding to go get in an old car of mine and find the key is right where I left it 20 years ago. In the ignition! When it really matters, just disable the engine.
Also, having other's keys or knowing where to find them is scary business for me. I prefer to avoid the suspicion in the event something bad happens. That goes both ways too!
This is ironic because I just recently tossed several keys that have been on my key ring for a l o n g time. It made me a little crazy not knowing where thay took me in the past. Also have to think of Seinfeld comedy when they kept switching extra keys. That's the ultimate example of the importance we place on keys.
We have a keyrack in the kitchen holding nothing. My most precious key today is the ONE to our mailbox. The mail is dropped 1/2 mile away and if we lose the key it takes a week or so to replace the lock and it's costly. As for the house-key ,we have dogs.
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