Mind Over Mind

You know that saying "mind over matter"? Well, yeah, I think it's actually more like mind over mind.

The other week, for whatever reason, a few people at lunch started talking about being stuck in elevators.

One person's story was about a power outage that didn't last long, but that almost made her late for a final exam.

Another person's elevator story included keys being dropped down the shaft and having to explain that one to your landlord.

The last story was told by a former footballer (yeah, we spies are cool like that) who, with five of his teammates managed to find out what happens when you exceed the weight limit in an elevator. I could picture being stuffed in there with six huge football players as he described the noise the elevator made just before it gave up, trapping them in there with barely enough room to move.

Fast forward to the next day when I find myself in an elevator on the way to a doctor's appointment.

As I'm thinking back to the conversations, I realize that there are a rather lot of people getting on this elevator. A lady with a stroller, two older couples, myself and just when I think we're done, another fellow steps on and it's all I can do not to panic.

Ordinarily I have no problems with elevators, but I'd never been on one so jam packed and I'd never been on one the day after a bunch of people had told me their "this one time? When I was stuck on an elevator?" stories.

The amount of mind-power that went in to me managing to stay on that elevator, crammed at the back, three floors to go was amazing. My mind had to overpower my mind.

Which, when you think about it, is weird.

I was glad to take an empty elevator back down though, let me tell you.

Whew.