Of all the places I could have chosen, why had I ended up here? As I looked up at the darkening clouds and the bolts of pure energy within them, my eyes frantically searched for somewhere to hide. This was going to be one hell of a storm. It wasn't the first bad choice I’d made, but this escape from my mind-numbing job could turn out to be the most challenging.
I was out in the middle of nowhere. Endless miles of the ocean were in front of me. A boulder strewn expanse of eroded beach was behind me. That's when I spotted an abandoned lighthouse about a half mile away. I ran towards it like an Olympic sprinter. Intense gusts of wind swirled debris around me as I approached the door. I wasn't about to get caught in an atmospheric river without a life vest.
As I reached for the door handle, a violent gust of wind blew the old lighthouse door open for me. I quickly moved inside and closed the door behind me, which kept
opening. There was a rusted metal desk a few feet to the right. I dragged it over, but the door kept opening. I sat on the desk. For once, my excessive weight was working for me. I reached behind and flipped on the light switch on the wall. I pretty much expected what happened next, that is to say, nothing happened. It was a good bet that electricity, and people, hadn't coursed through this place in quite some time. I looked straight up at what had been the nerve center of the lighthouse. Now, it was just a collection of broken glass. It was a metaphor for my life.
I could hear the storm intensifying. The wind sounded like an approaching freight train. I didn't like being stuck in a brick tower, but it was a lot better than torrential rain and hurricane force winds. After all, this was a lighthouse and, as old as it was, I had to believe it had been built to survive a storm. Still, I thought it might be a good idea to tell somebody where I was hunkering down for the night. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. The screen came to life but informed me that there was no cell signal. I turned on the flashlight only to see a family of rats scurrying around. I wondered if they were as hungry as I was. I turned off the flashlight and pulled my legs up on the desk. If they were hungry, I wasn't going to make it easy for them.
I leaned against the lighthouse door and wondered whether she'd miss me if I never came home. After last night, I wasn’t sure she would be there when I did. She told me she had married me for better or worse, and kept wondering when the better kicked in. I could see her point as well as the pain in her eyes as she was saying that. We love each other but love only goes so far.
My night security job paid the bills, but barely left anything for enjoying life. She wanted to enjoy life. I had become comfortable, maybe too comfortable, and comfort leads to a lack of ambition. She kept pushing me to use my business degree for a business, instead of guarding them. I had gotten used to wandering the halls alone without adult supervision. Although I had tried the boardroom bit for brief periods, I would inevitably return to the security of solitude.
The howling wind, darkness, and my thoughts lulled me to sleep. When I awoke, I started to sit up only to feel my feet get wet. The ferocity of the storm had caused the old lighthouse to spring a leak, and three feet of water had forced its way in. I watched the rat family float by as a torrent of water started rising around me. I tried to move the desk away, but the water forced it back even harder against the door. Why was this happening to me? All I had wanted was an escape from my going nowhere life for a few moments. I just wanted a break from the meaningless game I played every waking moment of every day. Now, it appeared that the game was about to end and take me with it.
It was then that I noticed a small metal box attached to the wall. A plate on the door said ‘FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY’ in bold letters. I hadn't noticed it before, but then I had never really taken a good look around me. Maybe it was a circuit breaker box for a sump pump. At just over five feet, I was seconds away from going under for good. A lifetime of junk food and a sedentary lifestyle was taking its toll. I reached up and unlatched the metal door. Inside was a big red button with the word ‘RESET’ etched in white lettering. The water was rising faster. I took as deep a breath as my lungs could handle. As the water began engulfing my face, I forced my arm up and pushed the button.
I was out in the middle of nowhere. Endless miles of the ocean were in front of me. A boulder strewn expanse of eroded beach was behind me. That's when I spotted an abandoned lighthouse about a half mile away. I tore the ‘Escape Hatch’ virtual reality glasses off my head and glanced at my watch. I had to get the AI mind probe prototype back to the product research lab before employees started flooding into the break room for their morning cappuccinos.
My escape had taken longer than I thought. Fortunately, nothing had happened during the rest of my shift. I gave a quick report to the day shift replacement and headed for the bus stop. As I sat waiting for the bus, I gave her a call. When I heard a voice at the other end, I quickly told her to listen before saying anything. I asked her not to do anything rash until we talked. Maybe it was the sincerity in my voice or just that I caught her in an unguarded moment, but she agreed. That was all we said before she ended the call.
I leaned back on the bench. My virtual reality adventure had left me with a focus and sense of purpose that I hadn't felt before. ‘Escape Hatch’ was going to revolutionize the industry and make that company a small fortune. More importantly, it had taught me a life lesson that I would never forget. It was a lesson that I had needed to learn, namely that every life comes with a reset button. All you need is a desire to find it and the motivation to push it.