Enjoying life in an escape room and doing unto others

    Escape Rooms seem to be a “hot” item on the fun things to do list for couples, families and group gatherings these days.
     My first experience in an escape room was in early 2019 at a company outing in Des Moines. We also threw axes and think I hit the wood twice.
        There is an art to mastering axe throwing.
        Anyway, my family and I signed up in early October to participate in a Halloween Escape room on the Old Threshers Grounds in Mount Pleasant.
       Due to COVID, Old Threshers canceled its annual Midwest Haunted Rails and Thrashers House of Terror, replacing it with escape rooms. What a great idea.
       Our four options where “Trapped in the 80s,” “Evil in the Big Top,” “Infection” and “Zombie Uprising.” We chose the latter.
        Arriving just before our 1 p.m. start time, my family was divided into a group of three and a group of four and sent to separate rooms. Each group had to share clues using Morse Code between the two rooms. It didn’t work, so we hollered at each other through the paper-thin walls. My nephews seemed to know more about it than I did, so I just hung out and watched and pretended I was trying to figure it all out.
        Maybe writing a college term paper might have been easier.
        After getting it figured out, we all ended up in a second room divided by a metal fence with two locks and chains. There was the heartbeat code to follow, sort of like the Morse Code, and a handful of fake clues to throw us off the trail.
         It took a solid 20-25 minutes in that room, which ate up most of the hour we had to finish the course.
       With a little help, we got in the final room with five minutes left and watched as the time ticked off the clock. We, I mean our nephews, got it figured out and the final door opened as we stood there looking through a  locked fence. We kept going back, thinking we missed one more clue. We were right there. We discovered afterwards that the gate was chained, but the other side wasn’t locked. We just needed to push.
        Afterward, we enjoyed a meal together and time of fellowship.
        Family time is important and right now with COVID and the election mess, being with family and enjoying life is important.
        It is easy to find the negative and look for what it wrong, but being with family is never wrong.
       With Thanksgiving just around the corner, there is so much to be thankful for. I have such fond memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. This year, even with all of its setbacks, it is a good year to look for the positive.
        The gate may seemed locked, but it is wide open and opportunity hasn’t taken a backseat to anything or anyone.
        I challenge you this year to find something to be thankful for and escape from the garbage and evil in the world. Write it down. I also challenge you to do something good for someone else.
      Volunteering at the local pantry, buying someone a gift card or a sack of groceries, helping clean out a neighbor’s yard or garage are great ideas to help others. Take part in an angel tree or a Christmas Share program and buy gifts for a family who has little to nothing this holiday season.
         Debbie and I have done that in the past and it is fun to help others.
         Let’s end this year on a positive note doing good for others!
         Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.