The real "fun" started after the event was over and I had to make my way back to the underground parking garage. I dropped off my wife at the club and then parked underneath the building where the club was located. I hopped into an elevator, noted the level I was parked on, went up the 1st floor exit (which was a lobby of the building), exited the building, turned left and there was the entrance to the club.
Afterwards, my wife asked if it was far to get to the car and I responded, "No, it's right next door." So we left the club, turned right to the entrance of the building lobby, I pulled on the door handle...and nothing happened. The door was locked.
I thought, okay, these are double doors, so it must be the other door that opens. Nope. My wife started getting worried, she asked if the garage was closed. I responded that there were no signs saying the garage would close. Maybe it's just this entrance that's closed, let's walk around the block to the side of the building where I drove into the garage. So we walked, all the while I had no idea where I was going and what I would do when I got there.
Around the corner we went and I saw another lobby to the building. I immediately went over and tried to open the door. Same result. Fortunately, there was a sign on the door that said to use the revolving doors. Ah, that must be the answer, so I pushed on the revolving door. Same result.
Now, all sorts of things start running through my head. Oh no, it's Sunday and maybe the garage has different rules on Sunday. Oh no, we're 25 miles from home. Oh no, there's no one at home who could come get us. Oh no, none of the other attendees at the event lived near us. Oh no, a cab ride home would cost and arm and a leg. Oh no, should we just get a hotel room and wait until morning? Mind you, I'm thinking all this while I tell my wife, "Oh, there must be another entrance."
I find the ramp I drove down earlier that evening and we walked down the ramp. Nope, no signs that say it was was closed. We walk and hear some voices coming from the garage, familiar voices, voices mentioning names that we recognize. Then we see the people and think, yes we know them, where did they come from? Then an elevator door opened and more people we recognize came off the elevator.
Apparently, when I entered the garage, I was smart enough to notice the posted signs and know that the garage didn't close that night, but I wasn't smart enough to notice the posted signs that pointed to an elevator that led directly to the club. I had taken a different elevator that led to the lobby next to the club. Same building...different entrances/exits.
Got to the car, told my wife that I had it all under control, and "See? There was nothing to worry about." Even though we were wandering around cluelessly.
So the musing for today is: don't be afraid to turn back. Because if I had at the very beginning, we would have gone back into the club and noticed the elevator to the parking garage. No muss, no fuss, no worries.
