Crux

Crux. Crutch? Crunchy cereal? Or it is that black hole where all of the things you lose end up? Doesn’t that just drive you wild? You set your keys down right there, you swear you did! The cat must have hidden them, they must have “disaparated” (along with Harry Potter) … or most likely they slipped out of your pocket and are under the chair, carpet, or that shirt that was hastily tossed on the floor in your rush to make it out of the house. Let’s hope we can get to the crux of this problem.

Say it with me: Crux \ˈkru̇ks\ noun An essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome.
We are down now to the crux of the problem.

Ahh yes, the keys were in my pocket the whole time. I need a better system. Or … go back in time before locks were invented.