Monday, January 19, 2009

Growing up -- #1: Keys

If my keys were thrown into a pile of other keys -- it wouldn't be a needle in a haystack; I could find them with my eyes closed.

Last week, I found a new keychain for my keys. I picked it up at a trade show a few months back, I'm sure... but I realized it'd be nice to have a hook to keep my keys safe when I'm flying, or hang them up when I get home. As I twisted the ring around the set of keys, I realized how much they keep changing...

I've had the same keychain of Constipated Bob since I was 14 years old. (It's actually one of those McDonald's Tamagatchi Happy Meal toys I stole when I worked there, in middle school.)

He suited my house key well. I felt like an adult, with the responsibility of not losing something that unlocked my house door. Plus, I could tell which keys were mine. That little guy's gone everywhere with me since then.

Over the years, I've placed and replaced different emblems, vacation souvenirs and band paraphernalia on my keychain, as a definition of myself. As I got older, I realized it's not necessary to have bright, bulky, noisemakers to lug everywhere. Now I have necessities.

CB stuck for nostalgia... but now I've got grown up things. The keycards to my office, gym and the library. My electronic car key remote. The Leinie's bottle opener I won when I took a tour of their brewery.

Over the years, even the keys have changed. I've had employer's service doors, shitty cars, dorm rooms, keycards and countless apartment keys attached.

I've always had the door to my mom's house. But, now I also have Michelle's shamrock spare, the Camry, and three apartment keys (WHY?!#).

Maybe soon I'll have keys to my brand new 2009 CTS-V. Or a Fiat 500.

3 comments:

Gregor said...

I didn't start carrying keys around until college. I never needed to in high school because we rarely locked the house, and I never locked the van. But since the first day of college I've used the same purple caribbeener clip.

PS that link to Constipated Bob didn't work for me.

Amanda said...

The link for bob didn't work for me, either.

Are you thinking of buying a new car?! Exciting!

Unknown said...

You think your three keys for your apartment are bad (which by the way I have on my key chain too for spares), but I have 4 for my house - front door, side door, dead bolt, garage. I also have a key to my car and a key to the store. Until about a month ago, I also had Lisa's spare, but she took it back when she got locked out. Hahaha. I had to get rid of my key chains because I already have too much crap!