PRESS TO RESET THE WORLD. The button was rather smaller than I expected, simply marked with a paper sign. Would it be worth it? I wasn't sure. I didn't expect to be faced with a dilemma like this on my way to work at 6 am on a Thursday morning. Especially on a Thursday. Thursdays were null days- they just happened. Nothing happened on a Thursday. Ever. I was getting side-tracked. Looking around at the people rushing to and fro in this coty, I wondered if I was the only one who actually saw the button. I probably looked crazy just standing there, beside the crosswalk as it continued to change from WALK to DON'T WALK, whether or not anyone was there. The cycle continued. WALK. I stared at the button. I lost track of time, floundering in the tangle of thoughts and possibilities. "Should I press the button?" I wondered as DON'T WALK echoed in my brain.
I'd always lived a simple life. I don't usually have enough money for everything I want; sometimes I don't even have enough for everything I need. It was good though. I was healthy, for the most part. Early arthritis was an issue, but I still walked to work as often as possible. I didn't always enjoy working: I'm a baker, and if all I did was bake, I would be satisfied. But the older employees, whether or not they knew anything about baking, constantly gave me grief over what I did, complained about my lack of work, and tried to tell me how to do my job, even though I was the one who kept their baked goods from burning when they'd step outside every 30 minutes like clockwork to smoke. I wasn't often happy there, but some of the employees were the best people I had ever met. Resetting the world might mean I lose them all, but would it be worth it? To finally be free of the terrible coworkers, but lose some of my closest friends? I wouldn't remember, of that I was sure, but I wouldn't remember anything if that were the case, and to lose everything I worked so hard to gain was almost unimaginable.
But I wouldn't remember, a small voice told me. I would wipe the slate clean, start again, maybe on a different path. Would I have a new family? Perhaps. Would I have an entirely new career to dream after and chase? I wouldn't know unless I tried, but what if it ended up being worse than what I had? What if I did remember?
"What if I'm tired of who I am right now?" A few people turned toward me. I realized I spoke out loud and avoided their gaze, embarrassed. As the crosswalk turned to WALK and those around me moved on, I started moving away from the button. My spoken question returned, knocking more insistently on my mind. "I am tired." I turned around, stepped back toward the button. One, two, three steps, and I stood in front of it again. I didn't hesitate.