I was standing in line today at a coffee shop and noticed a young man come into the cafe in dress pants and a dress shirt.  I thought he was clearly working in an office of some kind.  His hair was combed back and he looked clean and neat.  Everything a mother would want in her newly employed young son.  I had images of him being a new college graduate starting a new job.  It was the first really nice, warm day of spring and I thought how sweet it was that he took a walk for some late morning fresh air and a cup of coffee.  As he waited for his cup I noticed his key chain.  And my whole image shifted.  He had his keys on a long fabric lanyard that was very worn.  The keys were directly hanging on a clip – like the ones used for backpacks and hiking – then the clip was attached to the lanyard.  There were several keys and rings of various sizes and other things like a tiny flashlight, a key fob and some other things that I didn’t really recognize.  I know it sounds strange but the key chain made me think of him in a different way.  Instead of a new college graduate working in an office, I now thought that he was younger, maybe still in college.  I imagined now that he was working in sales and was on the road.  I guess all the keys and gadgets indicated that he was spending a lot of time in his car, which I thought might be filed with samples of whatever he was selling.  While he waited for his coffee, he started tossing the keys up and down, as if he was impatient.  This made me think that he was probably not taking a break from work but was busy and on the move, grabbing something to eat and drink while on the road.   This thought process, which lasted about 30 seconds, led me to thinking about how much we assume about someone from the small things they happen to carry around with them.  Things, like keys, that we don’t consciously see or think about but that might indicate basic personality traits.

Take me for example.  I have my keys on a long suede strap that ends in an over-sized furry puff-ball.  The puff is navy blue and immensely fun to play with.  Anyone I happen to be sitting with will ask to touch it and, undoubtedly, ends up playing with it for the time we are together.  I absolutely love this key chain for a few reasons.  Number 1, it is nearly impossible to lose my keys.   Even in the dark depths of my huge tote bag, I can find the puff and my keys hanging on the end.  Number 2, as I mentioned, I love to play with the puff.  It is super soft and doubles as a great stress ball for someone, like me, with anxiety.  Number 3, it is a great conversation starter and ice breaker.  Numerous people have started fun conversations with me by asking “what on earth is that thing hanging out of your bag”.   Lastly, I think it reflects a little of my personality.  I tend to dress outside the traditional mom box.  Not too far out or too much like an old hippie but I think I do have my “own style”.   I am also a self-deprecating, goofy and sometimes clumsy person.  Having a puff ball key chain should really surprise no one who knows me.

Then there is my husband.  He has his keys on a simple short black strap.  Nothing fancy.  Just a completely utilitarian key chain that fits cleanly in his pocket and hangs neatly on our key rack.  They are not meant to be spun around a finger or played with   They come out only when needed to start the car or open the house door.  There is nothing unnecessary about them.  This is a perfect reflection of my husband’s personality (for the most part anyway).  He does not believe in excesses.  He is a solid and traditional person, with a mostly conservative personality and believes that less is more.

My oldest son is a sophomore in college.  He carries keys to cars, keys to dorm rooms, keys to our house and who knows where else.  I’m sure I don’t want to know.  They hang on a long lanyard that came from a high school film club and which generally hangs from the front pocket of his jeans.  My son is a classic nerdy hipster.   He is kind of clumsy and totally doesn’t care that the keys hang down to his knee and slap him as he walks.  He probably doesn’t even hear or feel it since he is likely thinking about the next Star Wars film.  His key chain suits him perfectly.

My Mom had a key chain that had many things other than keys on it.  She had beads with the names of her grandchildren, charms with her dog’s picture, ribbons that held some meaning to her, and her keys.  My Mom was crazy about her “people”, who included family members both living and dead, animals and best friends.  She looked at her key chain as a memory or charm bracelet.  It was fun to look at and definitely elicited memories for her.   I remember it as something that made noise when being used.  In fact, the sound of keys clanging around a steering wheel is something that will always remind me of her.  My Mom was pretty silly and had an amazing sense of humor.  I am sure that her key chain made her happy.  It might have been as simple as that.

My Dad’s keys were classic Bob Butz (my Dad).  My Dad was a smart, structured, “everything must be in its place” kind of man.   He had a plastic key chain from the company who sold him his golf cart.  He had a house key and his cart key.  The only distinguishing thing about it was that he had stuck his address label on the plastic tag.  I am sure that this was so that if he lost them, whoever found them would send them right back.  Very orderly indeed.

Maybe I am wrong about the picture you get from someone’s key chain.  Maybe it really is just a meaningless necessary object.  But maybe not.  What does your key chain look like??