Red Light! Green Light!
I was driving home from an early movie showing of “Toy Story 5” one night and found myself taking a ride with my inner child.
The inky blue summer sky had not yet gone to black, as the clouds, still holding onto the sunset, cast bright white highlights across the sky. It may have been my eyes adjusting to normal light after 120 minutes staring at a screen in a dark room, or that magical night sky was making all of the colored lights shine more brilliantly. The neon lights of the theater marquee shone with Christmas-tree-like intensity that mid-July evening.
I was also struck by the bank of red lights that halted my drive home, which shone like brilliant rubies. What was typically an annoying delay allowed me to take a photo of them. I also snapped a photo when the lights turned an emerald green, ignoring the bleeps from the frustrated drivers behind me.
As I sped home, my mind wandered back to the game, “Red Light – Green Light,” that we used to play as kids. The object of the game was to be the first to reach the “stoplight”, which was a player at one end of the playground who would call out light changes. Back then, I enjoyed the power of being the “stoplight” who controlled the players’ progress. I also remember the thrill of being the car, anticipating when I might need to sprint forward or stop. My feet, like my mouth at that age, could not wait to be given the green light to move, so it was no surprise that I liked the green light best. Friends will agree that I still relish the green light today, and despite my inner child’s insistence, I now realize the importance of resting at a red light now and then.
As I pulled into the garage, it occurred to me that I have witnessed folks experiencing their own version of “Red Light – Green Light” while walking the labyrinth.
Although the style may vary, walkers trust that the labyrinth will offer a singular, sometimes circuitous pathway free of dead ends and cul-de-sacs, typically leading into and out of a center space.
Red lights encountered on the path could be from fellow walkers or from internal emotions and thoughts that force a pause. Thankfully, no one other than the walker is at the controls. They decide when the green light goes on.
The labyrinth path meets every traveler where they are, allowing each to have a unique experience. No matter what prompted the journey, some walkers travel quickly through chasing green lights while others take more measured steps unphased by the occasional red light as they move toward discovering a deeper connection or resolution.
Holding space as a labyrinth facilitator for fellow walkers as they travel with their inner child has made me appreciate the starts and stops life hands us. Blessed to be on the journey wherever it may lead.