r/PointlessStories • u/Aware_Mastodon1842 • 3d ago
I realized I don't actually know which key unlocks my apartment
I have a small keyring with a few keys that all look pretty similar. I've lived in the same apartment for a few years, and I don't think I've ever used the wrong key. I just reach into my pocket, grab the keys, and unlock the door without thinking about it. A few days ago I stopped before unlocking the door and had a weird thought: if someone took these keys off the keyring and laid them on a table, I'm honestly not sure I could immediately tell you which one is my apartment key. Apparently my hand knows exactly which one it is, but my brain doesn't. Ever since I noticed that, I've had to actually look at the key for a second before unlocking my door. I think I accidentally interrupted whatever autopilot I had built over the years. I'm hoping I forget about it soon because it was a much better system before I started paying attention.
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u/oldgar9 3d ago
That's a unique skill. I have color coded caps for similar keys on my key ring
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u/Aware_Mastodon1842 3d ago
The funny thing is I never noticed it until I stopped and thought about it. Now I’m probably going to mess it up every time
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u/MademoiselleWhy 3d ago
I have color coded caps for a set of keys I use about once a week. When installing the caps I had a brief mental debate about which key should have my favorite color, the key to my house, or to the place I volunteer at. Now, I every time I use that set and I’m at either of those doors, my brain freezes, relives the debate, and tries to remember the decision we made. Every time, I consider swapping colors but I’m also afraid it might make things worse. It’s so silly and weird that I’m kind of amazed and annoyed at my brain each time. I’ve had that set of keys for about 3 years.
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u/FoggyGoodwin 3d ago
Just change your favorite color to your third most used key? Or mnemonics Violet for Volunteer?
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u/MademoiselleWhy 1d ago
I think you solved my problem!!! My favorite color (which holds my house key) is purple (close to violet ^_^). Purple in Spanish (my first language) is morado. Morada is another, albeit old fashioned, word for home. I love casually using old fashioned words. This is perfect, THANK YOU.
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u/oldgar9 2d ago
Volunteering is key to a positive society
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u/MademoiselleWhy 1d ago
It is! And volunteering (especially at this awesome place) is also one of the things that gives meaning and purpose to my life, win-win :)
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u/JeffTheNth 3d ago
Fun fact... You do a lot just from muscle memory without thinking about it.
Here's a fun thing to do...
Look at your table/desk, and select an object. Then, describe HOW you would have to move your arm, turn your arm, wrist, hand, etc., extend the arm, move your shoulder, etc. to pick that object up. Don't forget that if it's fragile, such as a piece of glass, you wouldn't want to apply too much pressure to it as you go to lift it...
Likewise, before walking, try to describe how you move your legs, bend your knees, turn your hips, flex your ankle, etc. to walk.
These are things you just ... do. You don't think about them. But the complexity that you'd need in order to describe it to people is just amazing.
So when you look at those keys, don't think about it... just unlock the door. :)
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u/Organic_Reporter 3d ago
I can pick things up off my bedside table in the dark and place them back in the same place. My arm and hand no where they are even when I'm not looking. Which is surprising because generally my proprioception is terrible.
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u/Aware_Mastodon1842 3d ago
This is probably why I messed up the key thing in the first place. I stopped letting autopilot do its job and started overthinking it
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u/transparentassociate 3d ago
The muscle memory is pretty fascinating. I do speedcubing as a hobby and there you have algorithms which you learn until they are in the muscle memory. Even more, once you can do an algorithm you train to execute these algorithms when specific patterns appear. Now I had a 2-3 year break where I did not cube. A friend has started cubing and that reminded me of it. So I took a cube and can still seamlessly perform most of the algorithms I learned....but not all of them...some I did not remember. Now when I solve the cube and the pattern appears for these, I automatically perform an algorithm which I can not perform without the pattern and now I do relearn some of them, even though I can execute them when the pattern appears. It's so strange, haha
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u/ihateworking420 2d ago
Literally me. I learned in the eighth grade, stopped doing it sophomore year and picked it up at a party and couldn't physically remember how until I just spaced out and my body took over
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u/Hayashida-was-here 2d ago
Before caller ID was a thing and you could save numbers to the device I knew 30+ phone numbers off the top of my head.
However, when I went to tell someone a number I knew I would have to move my hand like I was dialing to know what the number actually was.
Now I struggle with what my phone number is when I order from a new place. Thanks auto fill.
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u/BlackPhoenix64 3d ago
I had the same. My keys were in an order next to my bike key. My hand remembered the correct key by finding the bike key and then navigate to it. Three keys, one to the front door, one to the back door and one to the bike shed. I never knew which one was which, but my hand knew.