The narrative is set in a surreal administrative waiting room where individuals spend decades waiting for permission and supplies to pursue their life’s ambitions. A newcomer, Callum, checks in and is greeted by a man who has been waiting nearly twenty years for baking ingredients to finally open a pie shop. The veteran waiter warns Callum that the process is slow, citing a woman who waited 37 years just to receive supplies for making soap, and insists that stepping out of line results in losing one’s place forever.

The Cost of Passive Waiting

Callum, who aspires to be a writer, is horrified by the bureaucratic paralysis. He realizes that waiting twenty years for "a few good pens" is a waste of life. He challenges the system by noting that the door is not physically locked; the only thing keeping them there is their own compliance and fear of the unknown. The older man represents the comfort of the queue, willing to trade his time for the guarantee of eventual, though delayed, fulfillment.

Choosing Risk Over Regret

Refusing to "rot away wondering what if," Callum decides that the risk of leaving is preferable to the safety of waiting. He declares his intention to write his stories immediately rather than waiting for permission. Despite the older man’s warnings about the consequences of breaking the rules, Callum respectfully walks out the door, choosing agency and immediate action over the passive hope of a future that might never come.

Mentoring question

What ‘perfect conditions’ or permission are you waiting for before you actually start working on your life’s true passion?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=bYW_7rWjQMs&is=9IdsAeAyaLt-ulAD