11-21-23
I'm about done with this. My back hurts, and my feet are exhausted from being pushed into the floor because they have no other place to be. I've been cramped in the back of a Chevy suburban for the past hour. I'm very eager to get out. In this vehicle with me is my dad, aunt, uncle, grandmother, and two younger cousins. We decided to go to New Orleans for the day.
One of the places we visited today was the labyrinth in Audubon park. My dad used to bring me there sometimes when I was younger. I used to tell myself that when I get older and have a place of my own, that I would put a labyrinth in my yard. After this visit, I still stand by that. I want my own labyrinth.
All of us walked the path while chatting with each other. My dad was constantly reminding my seven year old cousin that he needed to walk slower, and that this was supposed to be meditative. I soon realized that I needed to take that piece of advice too. I was following behind his older sister, and after a while, I started getting silently agitated with her because I thought she was walking too slow. I strongly dislike slow walkers. But then I noticed that she looked pretty focused, and she had been silent this whole time. She was meditating. I decided to calm down and try to do the same. I started to count the giant leaves that laid in the remaining path as I came across them. There were eight.
If you walk a labyrinth to its center and follow the same way out, it takes a good bit of time and patience.
Maybe I still need to slow down right now, and not be in such a hurry to get out of this car. Really, although I feel physically uncomfortable, I feel kind of safe right now. I get to be crammed in the back seat and listen to the political conversation in the front of the vehicle between my dad and uncle, and watch my grandmother peacefully look out the window. I can doze off to sleep or listen to music. The situation I'm currently in is rare nowadays, and it will become more scarce because I'm getting older. I need to appreciate this. I had a good time with my family today.
I also need my own labyrinth.
