"For The Sake Of The World Just Forget About Me"

We are gathered here to mourn the passing of my Union Jack keychain.

It broke sometime today after work, the plastic loop which hung from the metal ring finally giving way after constant use for about seven years. I'm sad to see it go, especially because of the memories attached to it.

The keychain was given to me by Wendy early in our senior year of high school. She'd gone to Europe for a few weeks that summer with her sister, and brought it back because she knew I liked England (yes, even then I was an Anglophile. What can I say? They had the Beatles). It was a simple plastic keychain with the Union Jack (the British flag, FYI) in it. I immediately began using it, and haven't stopped since until today.

The keychain's seen some wear and tear over the past seven years. It's rather banged up, worn, and the plastic isn't nearly as clear and clean as it once was. But it was still on my set of keys, a constant item in my pocket, a familiar weight there and a comfort in a strange way.

I liked that keychain mostly because it reminded of that which I love--not only England, but Wendy. She's my best friend, and has been for almost seven years now. Admittedly, I don't need a physical reminder of these things--they're ground into my personality and soul in a way that they cannot be removed. But it was nice to have a tangible item to remind me, and I'll miss that.

Now, my key ring consists of the remote to my car, various keys, several of the metal rings (four, to be exact--though the one from the Union Jack keychain has nothing on it now), and my Ozarks Outbackers keychain, which the indomitable Amanda Erisman convinced me (read: smile pretty and said "Chuck, you know you want a keychain") to buy.

Yeah, this post was kinda weird, but sleep deprivation and a Master's Thesis will do that to you.

~chaos cricket

Song of the Moment: Mutual Admiration Society, "Comes a Time"