Monday, March 05, 2007

Keys

Does anybody remember the original Twilight Zone episode where people were Set Painters? It addressed how you can lose something and then find it later in the exact same place you had already looked for it....the explanation was that the set painters had forgotten to paint it in and later remembered; that is why it was EXACTLY where you had already looked a dozen times.

I had this experience today. I have somehow managed to lose BOTH sets of my car keys. Now this wouldn't be so tragic except for the fact that they are the new fangled kind of keys

that have a bunch of security features that adds up to a whole lotta cash for a replacement key. Did I mention that I have lost both sets and we have been running on emergency key mode (not auto lock--ugh) for about 2 weeks? Well today I went to get something out of my purse and there they were in the pocket that I had already check a dozen times! Rejoicing and praises shouted through out the house! What a relief.
I does make me think of how NOT in control of our circumstances we are; I did check that pocket and we have turned the house upside down looking for the keys. What was it about today or this time looking that made the difference?
What lesson am I to learn? I still need to find the other set. Then the crazy key exchange at the front door can end. Being a one mini-van family the possession of your own set of keys tends to take on a heightened significance. My husband was just given the keys to the building of his new job today--this caused undue excitement and the searching about for a key chain to attach these new key to--why? Is it the granting of responsibility? The acknowledgement that you can be trusted with such important items--he can now enter or exit as he chooses.
My key for work is a swipe card. This has a different kind of significance: my employers knows what time I use the gym, what time I enter my office, what (and how many) times I use the bathroom. Very Orwellian. My employer could recreate my whole day and restrict or allow me access to whatever areas it deems fit. Plus I have the added bonus of having a driver-license-like picture hanging from a fob on my belt all day long.
How does this affect my psyche and my work ethic? I prefer not to think about it and carry on as normal, but p'hap that is because I am an honest Joe and actually have a tendency to work more and not less than my required time. For me this "big brother" tactic just proves that I am a good employee...I wonder how it makes others feel? I do know that one supervisor has been caught taking extended night shift naps in the first aid room!

3 comments:

RW said...

This has happened to me so often that now when I go looking for something and can't find it where I think I have left it I no longer panic because I know it will show up eventually. I lost and found an address book; my Starbucks employee card; keys; my inlaws "important papers"; income tax receipts - it is truly bizarre.

I can relate to the joy upon having the item appear where you knew it was all those many times you looked for it and it wasn't there...

cyrilla said...

Fantastic!

cyrilla said...

And then, just the other day... I took my keys out of my purse to lock the door, realized that I had forgotten something, went and found it, and then spent the next ten minutes retracing my steps trying to find the keys that i JUST HAD and now i couldn't find anywhere. a prayer away, i checked my jeans pocket, a place i never put my keys, and there they were. wow, in this whole episode, I couldn't help but think of you!