There Are No Dead Ends in the Corn Maze

I’ve always been fascinated by mazes and the corn maze, a popular fall activity, is my number one favorite. Far less predictable than the average maze, the corn maze varies each year, adapting its complex network of passages to the whims of its creator. The corn maze challenges us to draw upon the very best of our navigational skills to face the unexpected. Just like in daily life.

Though these days I hear corn mazes are actually designed on the computer, I like to envision the lone mower, seated high atop a tractor, cutting neat paths through the ribbons of rustling corn. In my mind’s eye I see the slender stems falling in advance of the blade, a matted path of dried husks and brown kernels pointing backwards in its wake. Standing stiffly upright, the surviving stalks draw together to form the maze walls, imposing black-and-tan sentries standing guard, their dried silks shimmering in the clear autumn sun.

No stranger to getting lost (even in average circumstances on an average day), I always arrive at the corn maze with some trepidation. Entering in, I brace myself for a series of ever increasing challenges. One pathway ends abruptly at a vegetal dead end, while another beckons me onwards if only to illustrate I have already covered this ground. Frustration mounting, I battle against my cornstalk opponents.  Their dried hulks cast shadows before me, while overhead the limitless sky, co-conspirator in the game, gives no clue. Will I make it through?  Am I up to the challenge? Is it possible I may never get out?

Mazes call upon that part of the brain that helps us make sense of our surroundings, to create a mental picture of where we have been. This function is critical to all problem solving. Strategies used to solve mazes include taking note of environmental cues, improvising when necessary, and most importantly, remaining flexible. (Some say the simple strategy of holding your hand to the wall on the left or the right side will eventually bring you back out. but I’ve yet to try.)  The corn maze is life’s problems in vegetable form. It’s up to you to map your way through.

As I travel through life, it’s hard not to feel frustrated by the many dead ends, the carefully laid plans that fall through and the paths that take me in circles and then back out again. Yet, personal growth hinges on learning to surmount these obstacles, to replace old strategies with new, sometimes to shift the course in a whole new direction. The corn maze embodies this journey. With this mindset, I return to the threshold each year to march bravely through the twists and turns, and, with some luck, finally arrive at the center.

Posted by Carole Funger 
#corn maze, #maze, #frustration

Interesting fun fact: Largest corn maze in the world is located in Dixon, California and is 45 acres