Go Ask Alice…

Had myself a Jefferson Airplane moment while scurrying around in preparation of leaving work tonight.

In the process of trying to clear off my work surface I opened the top drawer of my desk with the intent of shoveling in all the miscellany (the office equivalent of sweeping dirt under the carpet). My eyes landed on two wee brass keys, both labeled with small pieces of masking tape. The labels refer to two secured cabinets that, according to current office real estate, are “mine”. One is identified as “Jody Up” and the other is “Jody Down”.

Now, if we were psychoanalysts, we might say that when I labeled the keys I was revealing an unconscious desire to possess a simplified control over my emotions. Like Alice and her size-altering pills, “one key makes you happy, and one key makes you sad” (if you didn’t read that with the tremoring voice of Grace Slick you better go back and read it again). If only it were that easy.

Now, if we weren’t psychoanalysts, we might say that the labeling was merely a conscious and pragmatic decision. Our office got refurbished recently. There are five identical work stations, each with overhead and below desk storage and each with their own keys. Despite appearances all of the locks are slightly different. By labeling my keys I was really just being practical – hoping to avoid future grief when the keys get messed up (you know they will).

Or was I???? Hmmm…

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