Let me begin by explaining how “not mechanically inclined” I am. I had to call my grandpa once to help me unlock a door because after forty five minutes of twisting, turning, and swearing, my raw fingers couldn’t figure out how the key worked.

The key was upside down.

My grandpa laughed at me, but my family is pretty used to these antics. We blame it on the genes (my golden locks in particular). Everything around the house is “blonde proofed”, so my struggles are thankfully limited. It’s a true relief that this complicated life is so simple, and just about everything can be done with the push of a button.

I’m tired, so I push the “on” switch of the coffee machine, and wait in impatient agony.

I finished the third book of the series, and with a click on the screen, my Amazon Prime account promises it will be at my doorstep by tomorrow morning.

I have something important to say, so I type on a bunch of keys and push the “publish” button, and my important words appear on your screen.

I am so wrapped up in blankets and pillows that even attempting to move would be an unnecessary effort, and without moving anything but a finger, I can change the channel on the TV in the room over.

I see a boy in Target that is absolutely positively a male model, and pressing down on the camera app so my friends can witness the glory is easy peasy lemon squeezy (until I realize my sound is on).

Heck, my parents’ cars don’t even need a key to be inserted anymore, the engine roars to life at, you guessed it, the push of a button.

But life isn’t about all these hacks that were created to make everything easier. They just make us lazier. There are certain things, experiences, and memories that can’t just happen at the snap of your fingers.

Even though I am perfectly happy with flipping through the channels from the safety of my warm blanket nest, sooner or later, I’m going to have to get up to change the battery. Or more than likely, bring back some snacks.

Life is bound to get tangled and tricky at some point, and I hate to break it to you, but the simple push of a button can’t always get you out of the labyrinth.

To escape my labyrinth, I’m going to have to learn how to unlock a door with a manual key. But first, I need to take things one step at a time, and figure out what side is up, and which side is down.

Wish me luck.

Maddie Rheinheimer