justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

Keys

While I was rummaging through one of my toolboxes, I ran across about 25 keys on a key chain. Looking through the keys, I recalled how I felt as a young boy in the ‘40s. Having keys was a status symbol, perhaps indicating one was “responsible”, or “trusted.”

As a little boy growing up as a member of the depression or veteran generation, keys were like little pieces of magic. I treasured any I had and yearned for collecting more – regardless if the keys worked in any locks to which I had access.

As a student of all generations, I‘m very interested in Gen X (born between 1965 and 1976). This generation has often been referred to as the “Latchkey Generation”, their members known as “Latchkey Kids”. During their formative years, these children were often given a key…a “latchkey”…to let themselves into their home after school, as a growing number of mothers were working away from the home. Stay-at-home dads were very uncommon. Parents working from home were uncommon too.

Because of the generation in which I grew up, I didn’t have a “latchkey”. They weren’t necessary, as most homes –and cars – were never locked. It was certainly a different time relative to the need to “secure” one’s home or automobiles.

Back to my stash of keys: Possessing these keys is not nearly as much a treasure as they once would have been. Nowadays, most hotel rooms…and even automobiles…and many homes don’t even require keys!

Nevertheless, I’m having a hard time discarding this stash of keys as my subtle need to hoard makes me pause and wonder if they may fill some “need” in the future.

But, I doubt it. Into the garbage they will go today.

Or next week, for sure! (Or when I find the key to the garbage can…)