Making Mazes

Does anybody know the way out?

Dear anybody,

For most of my life I’ve been laying bricks. Toys I couldn’t play with, words I couldn’t say, rooms I couldn’t go into — without looking up, I’d take a brick from my cart, slather it with some mortar, and add it to my growing wall. I never expected to run out, but one day I reached into my cart and grabbed dust. It spilled through my fingers as I stared at the spot where that next brick would have fit perfectly, corners-and-all. Instead of soul-soothing rightness, I was left with a jagged hole in the wall.

I felt an uneasy sense rise up in me, like that empty cart had left a hole in me too. I nervously peeked through the hole in the wall and saw, for what seemed like the first time, the full extent of what I had been so diligently building — a maze of brick spread 10 feet high and further than my eye could see in every direction.

Where was I?

I spun around, stunned as if I was hit with a wave of consciousness, but found myself surrounded by the solid, blemish-less walls I’d just been building. What the fuck was I building? Why was I building it? In the blink of my mind, I was free. The hole in the wall beckoned, and I knew I wanted more of what it offered. What lurked in the maze’s deepest recesses? What ultimate reward would I see when I saw beyond the last brick? In a fresh moment of existence, I felt like I’d woken up from a psychedelic dream.

I tore myself out of that first room brick-by-brick. I tossed beliefs, lessons, and rules by the wayside as I dug to freedom. All those years dedicated to geometry, angles, structure, and here I was reducing it to scattered piles rubble.

Yet, I’ve found that it’s easier to navigate the maze than to break down each wall I encounter. A few left and right turns, here and there, back and forth, and I am lost.

Was I breaking out of the maze, or was I fighting my way deeper inside its belly? It’s been a few years now, and I’m still searching for answers. All I know is that time is running out — so if you know how to get out of here, please let me know.