The awakening

Believing that his life had been a succession of failures, Sam woke up determined to follow his dream of becoming someone he could admire. “I am going to be my own super-hero,” he told his wife, before walking out the door and fading away into the future. He didn’t know where he wanted to go, but he was sure that he wouldn’t die surrounded by people who depressed him. Cruising down the highway, he considered reaching out to former lovers and moving to Santa Monica, a place where he had experienced a real sense of freedom. Full of yearning, he remembered Gracie, the first and maybe the only woman he had loved. He said to himself that he would separate from his wife and start over somewhere else, but all those thoughts about liberation and happiness filled him with fear. An inner voice told him to revert to old habits, to return to the house where so many fights had taken place. Although his heart told him to disappear without looking back, his mind commanded him to go home. So, when his wife called him to find out where he was, Sam realized that there was no way out. Cowards go nowhere.