“Got MILK?” As my BFF Kristen and I would head out into the San Francisco night, this is what we’d ask each other in the late 90s. MILK stood for Money, ID, Lipstick and Keys. Once we had these four requisite items, we could leave our cares behind and head out for margaritas, mojitas, caipirinhas or any sweet drink with three syllables or more.
Before my smartphone, no other item caused me to obsessively check my pockets and my purse like my keys. Today, I’m much calmer about it, but my phone is a different story. I always have it on silence so as not to distract me with constant dings and notifications. However, when I think it’s gone missing, it’s harder to track down. People will offer to call it, but that rarely helps unless it’s nighttime and I can see it illuminated inside my bag.
Power to my purple puffy coat
Yesterday I got my hair done and, as usual, hung up my coat, in the salon’s coat closet whose door is a curtain. It’s not the most secure place to keep it, but after going there for 18 years, I’m generally pretty trusting. Not so much when it comes to my keys though. They’re generally tucked away in my right coat pocket, but I always feel compelled to put them in my bag.
Am I paranoid that someone might steal them? Yes.
Do I worry that someone might steal them and not my coat? Sometimes. My purple puffy coat has seen better days. Yes, I know it’s irrational. Why would anyone steal keys to a place whose location they don’t know. Good point.
My bigger fear is around me getting into my apartment. I don’t have a doorman and tracking down my keys could take hours. Neighbors could be out. My super could be working in one of the other buildings and I would inevitably need to get inside quickly only to race off to some meeting or event.
As far as I’m concerned, it makes sense to take the two seconds to put the keys in a safe place. It’ll give me a little peace of mind and that is the key to trust for me.
Are you nervous about losing your keys or having them stolen? Do you hold onto your belongings for dear life? Are you completely fine leaving your valuables relatively unprotected? I’d love to know. Tell me below.