The loud, obnoxious, “BWAP, BWAP, BWAP” of the alarm clock rudely rousted him from possibly one of the best dreams he had ever had. In fact, just the sheer fact that it had removed him from his dream at all was enough. If he was really being honest, he’d admit that any dream was possibly one of the best because it meant he was somewhere other than work. The booming voice of the alarm clock only served as a reminder that it was time, time to go back to a place where he felt he could barely breathe.
He had grown to detest the constant pecking sound of keyboards emanating from across the rows upon rows of cubicles. Cubicle walls had somehow grown shorter over the years, allowing everyone to see the tops of heads within each row. He’d sometimes stare at the backs of those heads and wonder as to whether he was the only one that felt the way he did. Was he the only one who felt as if Corporate America was somehow making a mockery of everyone, acting as if they were all sheep in a herd? Actually, make that sheep with badges around their necks almost as if they had all been branded with a brand so deeply within the skin, it was unlikely it would ever be possible for its owner to remove it.
He had finally admitted a revelation to himself a couple of years ago. That revelation was the fact that he actually found himself excited when he heard of potential layoffs at his company. He realized that somewhere deep inside himself that he always hoped he would be one of those the company let go. Fate, being the cruel person that she is from time to time however never seemed to play out the scenario quite as he hoped she would. Sure enough, he always somehow managed to avoid being chosen.
He had also found that making the switch to yet another cubicle job was no longer an option. Unfortunately, this failed to make the change he desired. It simply resulted in the same situation where the people were all the same, yet with different faces. The cubicles may have been a different color, taller, shorter, larger, or smaller yet, it was the same job with a different company title. He knew it was him. He couldn’t blame it on the companies he had worked for. He knew the blame all lay within himself.
He had been afraid to leave. He never really knew why because every fiber in his being wanted nothing more than to leave. All he knew was that he would peer over the cliff and unable to see the bottom, would take a few steps back, back to what felt like a safe distance. He supposed it was because although he knew he wasn’t happy, he knew that he was safe. He had grown comfortable within that safety net whereas he didn’t know what lay at the bottom of that cliff.
One day, it fully hit him. He knew in that moment that he could not stay. Leaving was no longer simply a pipe dream. It was a necessity. It was a necessity if he wanted to truly live. He could no longer pay such an enormous price simply to exist. He knew that it had finally reached the point where he would do whatever necessary to leave and to live, to truly live.
He looked up over his cubicle wall. Leaving everything where it was, he grabbed his personal belongings. Peering back at the cubicle farm one last time, he knew there wasn’t anything that could ever make him return. Pushing open the door brought about a rush of warm, gentle air, air so sweet that he actually stopped and took a deep breath. He allowed that sweet, sweet breath to move through his body, to cleanse every inch, every cell of his being. He walked to the edge of the cliff and peered over. No longer was he afraid. He knew that even if he fell, it would be better than what lay behind. Even if he fell, he would be free. He closed his eyes and took the leap. Within that leap, he found that he had wings and with those wings, he soared to the most beautiful, glorious height.
What about you? What is your story? Have you discovered your wings?