Keith Kretchmer

Every kid accumulates special treasures.  Where did you keep them where you knew they would be protected from the prying fingers of siblings and investigation of parents?

When I was 9- or 10-years-old my brother and I each got our own safes.  Where we got them and why is lost in my memory.  They were gray metal with a real built-in combination lock on the door, and a slot for coins in the top with a drawer underneath inside.  There was a shelf in the middle and space below as well for my special important personal things.

After all of these years, I still have mine.  Do I still remember the combination?  No, but it’s not a tough lock to crack.  Inside are collected some childhood treasures—some are valuable, some are humorous, and some strain understanding about why I ever kept them.  My grandfather’s upside down Coke bottle trick which always mystified me as a child is in there.  A brand new genuine vinyl Disney Davy Crockett wallet with a fuzzy coonskin cap on the surface is there, too.  There’s a small red plastic piggy bank stamped with the name of the National Bank of Hyde Park.  It has a few pennies inside.  Why did I keep a shoeshine cloth from the TA Motels in Michigan?

I recently took inventory of my safe’s contents.  Now it’s locked and back on its shelf until next time nostalgia beckons.