I’ve lived a pretty full life, which includes holding a decent job for the better part of the last 20 years. I have worked my way up the ladder, jumping from company to company within the same field until I reached a management plateau (which comes with some cushy benefits and perks). And although this isn’t exactly what I dreamed I would become as a kid, I can’t complain.
But after playing Lake, a cozy indie mail-delivery game from developer Gamious, I realize that I am ready to flush it all down the drain, move to a quaint small town, and become a mailman.
I’m serious, man. You think I’m joking? I’ll do it.
Now, in the case of Lake’s main character, Meredith Weiss, she was able to just slide right into the job because her dad held the post for so long and decided to take an extended vacation. And, Meredith also was born and grew up in the small town in question, so she too has pre-existing ties to the community. I do realize that even if I had a similar scenario to take advantage of, in reality (at least in the 2021 version of reality), the chances of just picking up the mailbag and running with it, no questions asked (and without background checks, drug testing, and driving history checks) solely because your dad works with the postal service, is nigh improbable.
But I’ll do it. Do you think I won’t?
And yes, I’m sure there are logistical hurdles, such as securing a residence (since I wouldn’t have a local family homestead to fall back on) and making sure my finances could sustain a full-scale relocation from major-ish metropolitan area to a plot of land out to the sticks (preferably with a few days off in between jobs). And I suppose I should check in with my partner to make sure she’s okay with it.
Like any of that’s gonna stop me. Do you think I’m just messing around here?
I should also, of course, pick an actual community, since I can’t seem to find Providence Oaks, Oregon, in any Google search. I should probably also make sure I have the appropriate wardrobe, as it might be chillier or warmer wherever I end up (coming from the Midwest, I tend to have a little of everything, but perhaps not enough of one thing or the other).
Hmm.. Maybe I’ll just play Lake some more and think about it for now.
