Locked out!

Photograph by M.G.H. upon returning home.

 For the record it's 3 a.m. I called the proverbial red phone of my apartment building only to find out that getting someone out of bed to open the front door would cost me $45.

You may be thinking: "$45? What's the hangup? Pay it, march upstairs and crawl into bed." But maybe, like me, you're not. I'm revolting on principle, refusing to part with half-a-hundred dollars for the simple act of crossing a threshold. My fiscal rebel envisions bills on my kitchen table that would receive that amount with greater appreciation than a leasing office that already gets more than enough each month. 

Don't get me wrong. I've already thought longingly of the shower and soft bed just beyond my reach. I've been guiltstricken imagining my poor hungry kitty pacing the apartment, meowing her complaints. I've imagined the dazed stupor that'll cling to me tomorrow morning when I stumble from the backseat of my car to wait beside the front door for early risers to exit the building.

For now, I've converted the backseat of my car into a cradle of creativity. Laptop screen up. Earbuds in. New Age music wafting into my writing state of mind. At least in here I don't have to deal with wet concrete, giant bugs, or the feeling of vulnerability that cloaks a woman in the wee hours of the morning. At least in here, I can sleep without keeping one eye open for insects or predators.

I realize how blessed I am  to have this temporary 'apartment'. Sure it's smaller than my bed and isn't exactly designed for overnight stays, but it's safe, softer than the sidewalk, shelters me from the elements and if I get hot, I can run the A/C. How many people in the world can't say the same. 

In the first sixty minutes of my short exile from comfort, I'm reminded of how little we need and that having less allows us to appreciate the things that we do have even more. I am newly mindful of responsible ways to use the resources I possess.

But I'll definitely be double-checking my key ring each time I leave home.