Keys to life—or to vehicles from long ago
The other day I was putting my car keys on the dresser set. Also on the dresser were two other sets—essential to locking my place, getting into the garage, opening the mailbox and the list goes on and on.
As I was looking at the three sets, in total I counted 55 keys. I have covered many speeches and presenters often will talk about “key” talking points and have graphics that carry the theme of a house or vehicle key.
It got me thinking about why I had kept all these keys, admitting my move five years ago to Dodge City may have been a reason but on one of those rings also includes vehicle keys to cars I don’t have access to or can even remember what vehicle they went to as well as keys for other purposes.
Keys are similar to life, at the time they are essential to my current existence. In the future, the keys change, too, as does life. The extra set of keys to vehicles that I no longer drive carry no value today yet are a reminder that I needed that vehicle to get me to where I am today and proved the message my dad once said, “if you take care of your vehicle it will take care of you.”
Perhaps that advice still lingers in me and those keys serve as a tangible reminder of how far I come. There are many other keys—from locks to ignitions—that I frankly do not recall why I have them any more—which makes it difficult to throw them away. What if I discover why I kept them after all these years? What if one of those keys was entrusted to me by someone who valued my honesty?
I guess those are compelling questions that remain unanswered and why they still are on a ring of one of the three key sets. Like a locksmith I wished there was a way to keep track of all of them.
At one time a common key could start the motors of many pieces of John Deere equipment, definitely a part of my past.
Vehicles today can be remotely accessed and started with a fob. A co-worker recently purchased a late model import SUV and he noted there was no traditional key.
I’m not ready to hear a presenter talk about fob talking points and I’m unclear how a graphic could be used.
Still, the symbolic keys do matter and are a great reminder of how any of us have an appreciation when we can step forward and build on a day-to-day journey. Likewise, I can remember the feeling what is like to misplace a set of keys. In the end, even though those extra keys on my three rings seem random there is some cosmic reason I have them and perhaps someday it may all make sense.
