The parking lot is full.
It’s full of cars, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians. Lots of them. The vehicles are not moving. The people are milling about; some laughing and talking, while others wander aimlessly. No one makes any attempt to leave. And there is a very long lineup waiting to get in.
There is no sign to indicate the location or purpose of this parking lot, but if we were to give it a name, it would be something like Complacency Parking, or The Easy Way Lot.
It’s a popular place. People come to stay for days or weeks or months. Some even live their whole lives here. Once inside the lot, no one cares too much about what’s happening on the other side of the chain link fence. They like the way things are. No challenges to deal with. No decisions to make. No troubles to worry about. It’s almost like a vacation. Trouble is, the longer they stay in the parking lot, the harder it is to get out. More and more cars, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians continue to crowd in, blocking the exits and making them difficult to find. The few who may have wanted to look for a way out finally give up. It’s too hard to leave the lot.
Some are pushed out unwillingly. They didn’t really want to leave the lot, but they happened to be near an exit on an exceptionally crowded day and before they knew what happened, they were no longer inside. They clamor to get back in, but they can’t. Within minutes, they are bombarded by all of the things they went into the parking lot to escape. But they soon realize that they are stronger than they thought they were, and they’re able to cope.
These former Easy Way advocates join the other do-gooders outside the lot who are walking up and down the long line of waiting cars, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians, urging them to reconsider; to turn around and go back to their homes. Most ignore the pleas and turn their heads the other way. But some listen and realize that the parking lot is probably not a nice place to be. They take a deep breath and decide to fight the urge to slip into Complacency.
The parking lot is full.
Turn away.
Inside the Writer 
What a great metaphor, Wendy.
And, whether or not you realize it, what you’ve written here applies directly to me–as it relates to sticking with my writing to see where it takes me versus tossing the entire frustrating mess aside and finding a real job–in other words, giving up my dream.
I need the message of this post. I really do. Thanks for giving me the courage to go on.
Glad it helped, Rick!