Do you ever feel you are searching for something? It could be someone or something, but your life does not feel complete. Maybe it doesn’t happen everyday, but every once in a while, you feel like you are in the middle of a labyrinth. You see many paths before you, but you aren’t sure which one to take. You make a decision only to find that you are retracing steps you have already made. You question each and every turn. Life is like that. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies.
In 1986, a spectacular movie came out that I just had to see. It was directed by one of my favorite people, Jim Henson. The movie opens with the main character, Sarah, reading some lines from her favorite book while dressed in a white dress. Nearby, you can see an owl watching her. The owl has great significance in the movie and is seen following her home only to perch outside a window as she rushes around the house angry that she is left home to babysit her little brother. She goes through the usual signs of teenage angst, and utters a magical phrase about the goblins taking away her brother. The owl flies through the window and transforms into the King of the Goblins. He tells her she has 13 hours to make it though to the center where his castle lies, or her brother will be lost to her forever.
If you have never seen the movie Labyrinth, but you love fantasy, you will enjoy it. Each path Sarah takes leads her to new friends, unexpected help, and pitfalls. Just when she thinks she is getting somewhere, the labyrinth changes. Just like the paths we take in life. Sometimes the biggest characters are the most afraid, and the smallest appear to have the most courage. Signs are everywhere if she just knows what to look for, but she is often heard muttering “That’s not fair!”, just like real life. As she finally reaches her destination, the steps begin to look like M.C. Escher’s work. Sometimes I feel like I am on the edge of those very same steps at work. I am trying to get somewhere, but seem to be going in circles. I know you can relate to that feeling. It’s very difficult to break the spell. Break through the masks:
P.S. I still want that dress.
“Life’s like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.” ~Jim Henson
