Today I’m going to talk about locks. Why? I’m not entirely sure… On a forum I frequent someone was talking about the trouble they had with a couple of combination locks, and it got me thinking about locks. Plus I can’t think of anything else to write about. I have some recipes to post at some point but finding the pictures and sorting everything seems like too much effort right now…
Yeah, I’m feeling lazy. But we’re not talking about my laziness here. We’re talking about locks.
When I started Grammar school I had to get a lock for my locker. This was a new concept for me. My tiny primary school did not have lockers. We had pegs to hang our coats, our bags got hung on the back of our chairs, and everything else lived safely in our desks. Lockers were different. I knew what they were, of course. We’d used them when we went swimming at the leisure centre, for example.
Side note: One of the girls in my class at Grammar school was so petite that (in our first year) we were able to put her in the locker and close the door! That sounds incredibly mean, doesn’t it? It’s not what you think! She went inside of her own accord, and thought it was hilarious.
So. Locks. Locks for lockers. Lots of people has the traditional lock-and-key type lock. But inevitably the keys would get lost and the caretaker would have to come with his bolt cutters and remove the lock so that the student in question could acquire her books and other stuff that she needed for class. It was an all-girl school, did I mention that?
In all my time at school I didn’t have to have a lock cut off. I didn’t lose keys because I chose to use combination locks. More efficient, less “lose-an-essential-part”able. The lock I had in the first year (which strangely is the only one of my locks that I am can remember…) could have the code changed by turning the curved part (which Wikipedia reliably tells me is called a shackle) so that it was backwards and pushing it down as if you were locking it. Then you enter the new number and Bob’s a monkey’s uncle.
I can combine sayings if I want, don’t be mean.
Unfortunately that handy-dandy capability did get the better of me on one occasion. Somehow whilst acquiring books from my locker I managed to accidentally reset the code on the lock without realising. And then it got stuck. Luckily it stuck before I put it on the locker so I didn’t have to get it forcibly removed, but that did mean I had a useless lock, and an unlocked locker. Not that the locks were hugely necessary. I managed just fine without, and got a new lock before too long.
One of my best friends also had a combination lock. But hers was different. It was awesome, and we all loved it. For one thing, it was purple (if I’m remembering correctly, at least). For another thing it was shaped like the lock on a stereotypical safe – you know the kind, with the turn-y thing.
I’m very literate today, I know.
We all learned how to open her lock. With her permission of course. And by all I mean our little friendship group. There was a knack to it, so even remembering the numbers didn’t guarantee that you’d get it right. It was probably the best lock ever. She had it in first year, and I’m fairly sure it was still around in our final year. It wouldn’t surprise me if she still has it today! If she’s reading this, maybe she’ll feel like letting me know…!
In conclusion… Locks, they lock things. In tomorrow’s news – ice is cold.
Okay not really. I mean, it is. But that’s not tomorrow’s news.
And now you’ve probably read this odd post and are confused by my weirdness… I promise I’m not as mad as you think. And I don’t have a lock obsession. I just had nothing better to talk about.
I’m going to go now…
Love,
Lady Joyful
Do you prefer combination locks, or those with keys? Maybe a fancy bit of both? Do you think I’m stark raving mad?
The Joyful Soul 