Fort Knox

I'm trying to decide which is normal: living in a dwelling that is always locked whether I am in it or not, or dwelling that is never locked. My apartment is like Fort Knox. I dare anyone to try and enter. It is just habit that I come in the door, turn around and lock the deadbolt, than hang my keys on my keyholder right by the door. It doesn't matter if I am going to be home for ten minutes or ten hours, I always lock the door. And all of my downstairs windows are locked. In fact, I hardly ever open them. Locked tight.

I am house-sitting for a family that lives in house in a smaller town. They never lock their doors. Any of them. Or their windows. In fact, many of the windows are open. I came home tonight and it was after dark. I must confess to you that it took every single ounce of my courage to walk into a dark house that had been open all day. I keep thinking that someone is going to jump out of a closet at me.

This particular breed of fear is one I haven't experienced since I had to stay at my Dad's old farmhouse alone out in the middle of nowhere. I slept in the living room on the floor because somehow it seemed safer. I'm not sure why. But it made sense to me at the time.

I'll probably be fine. But just in case you never see me again...you know what happened!