When wrong is right

(Canada chronicles continued)

My ring in the middle of the labyrinth

The other morning I was walking the Holy Trinity labyrinth. At first I was walking alone. Then a woman in 'work clothes' came. She stood for a while at the entrance then began walking very quickly ... in the 'wrong' direction. In other words, she didn't follow the open path, but crossed over the grey line (border) and confidently started taking the route that leads back out.

Along the way, as we came to each other, we both stopped to make way and she smiled and said: "At last! We meet!" I said "yes" and we continued ... with me walking slowly and the woman practically speed walking.

I wasn't paying attention to her, but I could not help but be aware of her hurrying along with determination. She struck me as a funny person (not funny peculiar, but funny ha ha). I found myself chuckling at her movements. At one point when we were on parallel paths, she stopped and my 'side eye' saw her pull out a cellular phone. "Messages! Messages!" she muttered ... and kept walking, irritatedly stuffing the phone back into her pocket.

When I was almost to the centre, I saw her stop and look confused. As I passed by her, she said to me: "Can you tell me what I've done wrong?"

I stopped and looked at the way she was facing ... to go back out. I explained to her that she had entered the 'wrong' way, but that no way is really 'wrong'. It was just the way for her and that's okay. (In fact, when I thought about it, to go the 'wrong' way in this labyrinth, you have to walk right ... and not left. The 'wrong' way is right). Maybe it was her first time, because she was still trying to understand what she had done (or not done) to get to where she was.

I told her she could turn around and go to the centre if she wanted.

"I'd love to! But another time. This is my exercise break from work and I've got to go back!" With that, she said goodbye and hurried off.

I got to the centre and sat there for a long while, quietly listening to the city humming around me. I thought of the woman again and laughed, remembering the way she had muttered "Messages! Messages!" ... maybe those that we had both brought to each other.