Waite for it...

First clear sunny day in yonks.  Crisp air, warm light.  Birds filled the lush Victorian garden beneath the old Waite House - a grand structure of sandstone and timber, multiple chimneys rising from the red gabled roof.  But I didn't come to ponder the romantic lives of entrepreneurial pioneers.  I came to walk the labyrinth.

The path was demarcated by round slices of tree trunks and paved with sawdust such that you could almost imagine the labyrinth had once been walled in by tall thin trees, then mowed down by Mr Waite himself, just to demonstrate his dominion over eccentric growth rings.  I entered in full sun and came to an intersection - a moment of panic - a decision had to be made.  I turned  right, and plunged into the shadow of a large pine tree.  Shivering, I paced the twisting path, short stints through sunlight warmed me briefly, occasionally, before turning a corner and seeping back into darkness.  I persevered through the chill and came to the outside loop of the circle.  Immediately, my attention shifted from the concentric trail and turned to the beautiful shrubs, fields, and sculpture that lay beyond the confines of the labyrinth.  Just as I began to relax along the boundary, the path curve sharply in, then around, then slightly disoriented, I found myself standing on a large stump in the center.

I turned slowly in a circle and took in the sounds, the smells, the scenery. Two paths lead out of the center - another decision : go back the way I came or press on.  I ventured into new territory and settled my mind for the long twisting journey back out of the depths.  My consciousness turned away from the task of walking and within seconds, I was back where I began.  I was confused and thought I had gone into a time warp, then realized, the labyrinth was not symmetrical.

By now, you may have noticed my love of metaphors, so it is kind of cheating to do something as obvious as walk a labyrinth, because of course I am going to draw parallels between twisting paths and gloomy shadows with my current journey and volatile emotions, so I won't bore you with the obviousness of it all.

But the experience did make me wonder about the junctions in life where one direction is chosen over another for no apparent reason and the consequences that come from such decisions.  And not just the physical manifestations, but how those consequences influence the psychological outcomes resulting form the journey.

It is easy to imagine what might have happened - impossible to know who you might have become.