WAKE UP!
What I Learned on a Hotel Floor at 2 AM
Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it
Last month, I found myself lying on a hotel hallway floor at 2 am, not drunk, but also not sober, pondering the complexities of life.
As I waited for my wife or daughter to wake up and open the door for me, I thought about a variety of things, including the very real possibility that I might end up spending the night on that hallway floor.
Four ideas permeated my thoughts as I continually called them and pinged their phones. I later realized the lessons in these ideas.
Sometimes we’re so focused on keeping the bad out, we also forget to let the good in
We were staying in a hotel with my daughter’s basketball team for a weekend tournament. I’d had a few beers with some of the other parents while my wife and daughter went to bed. When I got back to my room and scanned my key card, nothing happened.
I tried it again. And again. Nothing.
I took a deep breath and looked hard at the card. Was I holding it upside down? Was I at the wrong door?
I texted my wife, “What room are we?” No response. I texted my daughter, “Hey, are you awake?” Nothing.
I went back down to the lobby. The clerk laughed when I asked him what room I was staying in. “I’m pretty sure it’s 215,” I told him. “But my key isn’t working.”
He explained that if someone in the room locked the privacy deadbolt, the only way to enter the room was if they unlocked it from the inside. I was relieved to know my mind was working okay and I was at the right door. But disheartened to realize getting in was going to be difficult.
I was sure my daughter had locked the door from within, not realizing that meant no one could get in, even someone with a key card. She’s big on locking doors, both physically and metaphorically.
The world is a dangerous place but sometimes we worry about things we don’t need to worry about. And worrying too much can prevent us from enjoying ourselves. In this case, my daughter trying extra hard to keep strangers out kept her father out instead.
I wish she had realized sooner that keeping everyone out of the hotel room isn’t always a good idea, just like keeping everyone out of your life isn’t either.
We’re too often afraid to take risks and we miss out on great opportunities because we’re worried about “failing.”
Sometimes it’s good to lie on a random floor and contemplate life’s complexities
A change of scenery can be a good thing. It can allow you to see things from a different perspective. The hallway floor was more comfortable than I’d expected.
Had I been able to go straight into the room, I probably would have gone straight to bed and missed the chance to reflect on the evening.
It was weird to be out there in the hallway, assuming everyone was asleep but not knowing for sure if one of the other doors would open and I’d have to explain what I was doing out there.
I had been drinking with the other parents to try to fit in, and while I enjoyed kicking back and relaxing with them, I was still me, so it was awkward at times. Being social does not come easy for me.
I don’t dislike people, but I’m never fully comfortable around them either. I’ve been pushing myself to expand my comfort zone lately. As silly as it sounds, having a couple of drinks with the other parents was a step forward for me. For them, it was just another night. I usually only exchange pleasantries with them at the games and feel like an outsider to their little club.
As I lay on the floor, I thought about things I said to them, things I could’ve said, things maybe I should have said.
It’s an introvert’s curse. Rehashing every conversation you have over and over and finding faults in yourself at every turn. I did okay that night. I didn’t beat myself up too badly. I don’t think I was too weird with them.
I thought about the other parents, probably already asleep, and how they most likely didn’t give anything I’d said that night a second thought.
Sometimes you have no choice but to wake someone up out of a dead sleep
I hate being woken up. I don’t always fall asleep easily, but once I’m out, I’m usually out. I do not adjust well to waking up. So I recognize what an inconvenience it was for me to wake my family up and ask for help.
But sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to do. Ask for help, even if it’s a big inconvenience for the person you need help from.
I felt guilty. But one, it was their fault I was in that situation and two, I didn’t have a choice. I’m not a fan of asking people for help in regular situations either. I hate inconveniencing my friends and family.
But they’re my friends and family for a reason. They want to help me, and it’s foolish of me to continue to be stubborn and be afraid to ask.
I pinged their phones repeatedly because they were both in silent mode. Eventually, my wife finally woke up and let me in. I felt bad but she went right back to sleep, and I got to sleep in a bed that night.
Life is complicated
The reality is this was just another night for me, too.
Nothing major happened. I got to spend some extra time alone thinking, which I don’t mind.
I’m still friendly with the other parents, but not friends. They haven’t invited me to hang out with them again since. My daughter thought it was hilarious that she accidentally locked me out.
As long as people think and make their own decisions, life will be complicated. Nothing ever goes 100% according to plan. Our goal should be to make life as simple as possible.
Don’t lock metaphorical doors because you never know what might be on the other side. If you’re stuck in your head, change the scenery or change things up some other way. If you need help, ask for it.
And if you happen to find yourself locked out of your hotel room late at night, lying on the hallway floor is not as bad as it seems.