This is the first post in a new Kirsten Captures series called “Just an Observation”. Every day I will attempt to post a photo and quick thought or observation from the day. This is a sincere effort to become more involved in my life here in Penang. But as you will see from today’s observation that although I was ready to open myself to Penang, Penang was not quite ready to open itself to me…
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Why is my front door stuck… again?
I asked myself this as I violently jostled the deadbolt on my front door early yesterday afternoon. But I already knew the answer and was annoyed that it had happened again. Why today? I had just found the excitement and motivation to go out and get to work at the nearest coffeeshop. Well, our faulty deadbolt had other plans in store for me.
A couple months ago I encountered the same situation as I attempted to leave my apartment for some lunch. When the deadbolt would not budge I called Peter in a panic. “I’m locked in!” I exclaimed. “You’re what?” asked Peter incredulously. “I’m locked inside the apartment! The door won’t open! I swear I’m not making this up”, I replied. “OK I’ll be right over”, he said.
Twenty minutes later, Peter and his coworker Munther knocked on the door while laughing at my bad luck. I opened a window in the kitchen to talk to the boys from the hallway, which is separated by a low wall and a 15 story drop. “I’ll just jump inside through the window!” said Munther. “What??” I hollered. “No freaking way! What if you miss and fall? We’re on the 15 floor! I absolutely forbid you to jump. I’m serious!” “Ok, fine”, Munther said.
I turned around and started walking back to the door when I heard the sound of shoes landing on the floor. I spun around and saw Munther walking towards me with a grin on his face. “Oh my god! Are you insane!” I yelled. “Peter, don’t you dare!” I said through the open window. For the next few minutes Munther got to work unscrewing the deadbolt while I took deep breaths, trying to calm down from the near death experience that just took place. About 10 minutes later, the boys put a loose screw back into place and unlocked the deadbolt. Mission complete.
We thought all of our problems were over until yesterday when I tried to unbolt the door in the early afternoon. I was energized from an amazing workout and had my things packed for my usual walk to Queensbay mall for some quality time with my laptop at Starbucks. However, the door would not budge. AGAIN. I unscrewed the lock and found a loose screw but could not figure where it belonged. Scared of breaking something, I settled back in my office and started writing 6 Ways to Stay Inspired for the Next 6 Months.
I was inspired to get inspired again. That stuck deadbolt was a physical representation of the personal barriers I had constructed around myself. I addressed my lingering lack of motivation and set some goals for myself right then and there. Nothing could stop me now, not even my front door.
It turns out, getting locked in gave me the motivation I needed to get out and start living my life to the fullest. Who knew I would be so grateful for a broken lock?
