I step off the plane into the bustling airport terminal. People are rushing past me in all directions as I make my way to the baggage claim area. The flashing lights and announcements over the intercom make me feel disoriented.
I spot the rotating conveyor belt and wait anxiously for my small black suitcase to come into view. After what seems like forever, I finally see it and grab the handle. Clutching my bag, I head toward the exit to hail a cab to my hotel.
The lobby is cavernous, with high ceilings and modern furniture.
I walk up to the front desk to check in. The receptionist greets me with a smile and asks for my ID and c. card. I open my wallet but realize with a shock that all of my cards are gone! Panicked, I dig through my bag but find only empty slots where my wallet should be. How could I have lost everything already?
I spot a group of men in business suits conversing nearby. I recognize one of them from the conference schedule. I hurry over, interrupting their conversation. “Excuse me, I seemed to have lost my wallet with all of my identification and c. cards. Has anyone turned one in?” The men look at me blankly and continue their discussion as if I hadn’t said anything.Feeling helpless,
I slump down into a chair in the lobby. A cleaning woman passes by me pushing her cart. A sense of dread comes over me as I realize I have no way to verify who I am or pay for anything.
Just then, a tall man with a face eerily similar to my own walks briskly through the lobby. He pauses and pulls out a brown leather wallet, my wallet, to check something on his phone
Then he hurryied out the front door. That thief has my identity! I jump up to chase after him but he is already gone.
I sprint out of the hotel doors, frantically scanning the sidewalks for any sign of the man who stole my identity. There! I spot him half a block away, my wallet peeking out of his back pocket as he weaves through the crowd.
My legs burn as I run full speed toward him, narrowly avoiding crashing into business people and families on vacation. He glances back and sees me gaining on him. Panic crosses his face. He breaks into a run, shoving people out of his way.
I won’t let him get away. I dig deep and push myself even harder, slowly closing the gap between us. He cuts across the street, cars honking as he dashes through traffic. I follow right behind, my eyes locked on my lookalike thief.
He’s starting to tire, his pace slowing. I make one final lunge, tackling him to the ground. We crash onto the sidewalk, my wallet falling out of his pocket. I grab it and check – my ID and cards are all there.
“Why?” I ask breathlessly, still pinning him down. “Who are you?”
He looks at me sadly. “I’m you. A lost, forgotten version of you.”
Suddenly it hits me. He is the part of myself I have ignored. In my focus on work and achievement, I have lost touch with my own identity.
As compassion for this misguided aspect of me wells up, a bright light envelops us. I feel myself merging with this lost piece of my being. We stand together, now whole. I am ready to live a more balanced life, embracing all that I am.
