When memory misses a step

Forgetting keys is not memory loss—it's decision fatigue or the quiet exhaustion with too many routine tasks

- Shephali Bhatt

Have you ever locked yourself out of your house? I did last week, and was promptly told it happens to everyone. For me, though, this was only the second time in my life. Both times have been this year. Until then, I had never once forgotten my keys.

Growing up in a home with a working mother meant I was a keys-carrying child long before any of my friends. While most kids returned to homes where someone was waiting, I came back to a locked door.

The first time I locked myself out earlier this year, a neighbour had a spare key. This time, it was different: new house, new neighbourhood; I had yet to entrust someone with the spare keys. I’m generally an organised person, so this lapse felt frustrating and oddly personal.