I know what it's like to feel trapped. I was tanning in the suntan capsule a few years ago. After my nine minutes were up, I reached to open the door and to my surprise, the door wouldn't budge. I couldn't believe it! I pushed harder, but the door was not giving an inch. I started to experience claustrophobic feelings as my heart raced and I pushed harder on the door. I realized I was trapped in the suntan capsule!
(I had visions of the tanning lights coming back on every nine minutes for the next several days and when someone finally opened the suntan booth they would find me a burnt, shriveled up, toasted heap of a woman.)
It was then that I became a raving maniac! I decided the only way out was to bust out. First, I began to scream at the top of my lungs hoping to be heard over the loud music, "Help me, somebody help me, I'm trapped .... Help ... Somebody help me!" unfortunately, no one seemed to hear me. That's when I started to give that door my Hercules heave-ho! I moved as far to the opposite side of the door as possible and then I threw my body at that door, and it did not move. I did break 6 light tubes however! Glass covered the floor of the suntan capsule, my leg was bleeding and I was still trapped. I couldn't believe this was happening. How long would it take until someone reported me missing?
I noticed a sliver of light out of the corner of my right eye, so I started shouting into that sliver, hoping that maybe a fellow tanner in the capsule next to me would hear my cries. As I shouted into the sliver of light, I looked and saw my purse, my jeans and my shoes on the other side of the sliver. What kind of sick joke was this? Suddenly, I realized that the sliver of light was coming from the door being ajar. What? THIS was the door?
I couldn't believe what I had done. The entire time I was going ballistic in the suntan capsule, I had been pushing, beating and throwing my body against the wall NEXT to the door, NOT the door. The door was not locked or stuck, ever. When I realized this and pushed on the door it opened up easily, freely, and without incident. I was mortified and humiliated. Fortunately, at that time the clerk did arrive and provided first aid, but I was mortified and humiliated. I was not trapped, I was stupid!
Leaving the suntan capsule that day I pulled my baseball cap over my face hoping no one would see me slink out of there ... however, once I was in my car and rehearsing the craziness of the event, I laughed all the way home! Freedom is a wonderful thing!
Lots of people feel the exact same way I did - in life! They feel trapped. They push, scream and throw themselves at jobs, relationships, money and material stuff. They act like raving maniacs. They've hit the wall. Life has given them broken marriages, families, careers, emotions and hearts. They're bleeding and yelling for help, but no one comes.
Hey, I have good news ... there is a sliver of light! There is a Door! Trust me, when you follow the light and find the Door - you'll laugh again and enjoy blessed freedom!
Beth
