By Joan Bunting, March 7, 2019 — Living alone means that I am the last one to exit my home and also must be sure that I can return to my home when I am ready to enter again, which has … been the problem more than once.
The first time I was unable to enter my home was a couple of years ago. I had left something that I needed in my car, grabbed my keys from my purse and then decided that I didn’t need all the keys and took only the keys for my car and ID plus some money. “Why carry all those keys and discount cards?” I told myself. I hurried down the stairs, carrying my car keys, opened and shut the door and as soon as I was sure the door was locked, realized that I did not have my house key. What was I to do? I called my friend who lives in Mt. Airy with a key to my home and told her to meet me at the train station (with my key), [and] ask no questions.
The second time, I thought I had my keys, but as I searched my bag when I returned home, no keys. The guy in the restaurant [nextdoor] had a ladder that climbed through the back window to my place, crawled through the window and came down the stairs and I was once again inside.
Now, I have an extra key taped to the container that holds my credit card and other forms of ID. My fail-safe entrance is a key at the restaurant next to my home. SO if everything fails, I must be sure that if I need a spare key, it cannot be on Monday’s since that day they are closed.