Nothing Is Ever Lost, On A Well-Worn Path

Observation.

As I looked across the train I could not help but notice the casually dressed gentleman standing across from me. Had it been a busier time of day he would most certainly have been obscured from view. This day, though, he was quite apparent. He was sporting an extra long trench coat, which although potentially stylish, on his average frame only served to shorten him. The peculiar aspect of this man was not his attire. Immediately after boarding he retrieved a large key ring from his backpack. The sort you would expect a janitor to carry on his hip. Upon inspecting them for a minute or two, my subject of entertainment for this commute found a number of colored key holders, the sort that encapsulate the large part of the key, in his pocket. These items were of various shapes and sizes, not in the least uniform. Yet it appeared that the intelligent organizer had a very accurate system to maintain. He would carefully select a key from his collection, remove it from the ring, add the colored label, and return it to its rightful place. It was an odd event to witness, as it seemed nearly impossible to keep track of all of these different keys. And further, one would think that adding random colors to these keys could not help to identify them in the future. Yet the wise man continued on until all that was left was a single black key holder in his palm. This last piece he considered for some time. In the end he would settle upon a key that was suitable. It was clear that this was not his ideal, but it did not seem to bother him for more than a minute. The result of this labor was a key ring twice the size of the original. I had to think, ‘why does this man have all of these keys? What is he the guardian of?’ Sure I only have three keys on my key ring, but I probably cling to things in a similar fashion. Whether it be clothing, keepsakes, or more valuable items, are they not all accessories to this life? And ultimately are they not just as useless as a key to what is likely a forgotten lock, or even an old apartment?