69. Uvalde, Uvalde County

As I pulled up to the courthouse, I was confused. There were flags all over as you can see (though, you can’t see the Gonzales Battle Flags or the 1824 ones in this photo). I thought about it for a minute. Was here some holiday that I’m not aware of? And then I remembered. It’s Texas Independence Day! At the square across the street, there were some pioneer-ish reenactors, all Caucasian with white hair, setting up booths and displays, while city workers, all Hispanic, were setting up barricades. The irony was not lost on me, but that’s an issue to be tackled by whoever writes for Geocaching While Hispanic. I had other things to do. I went for a cache. Usually, I go for the closest one, but this one was both close and had a lot of favorites…

Welcome to the Camino Sangrado Labyrinth and Prayer Garden. Talk about a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city. I’m not a terribly spiritual man, but what does one do when you come to a labyrinth? I walked it and I thought. Was I the Minotaur, meant to be held inside the labyrinth? Or was I Theseus, a hero destined to brave it? About halfway though I realized it was a false dichotomy. I was neither the Minotaur nor Theseus. I was Daedalus. I created the maze that holds the monster. I offer the solution that enables the hero’s deed. I was both the architect and the wayfinder for both my mind, my life, my very existence. Or something like that. They’re useful for meditation for a reason. And it certainly qualified for a favorite, I think.

In the end, no matter my relation to the labyrinth, I’m certainly not bound by it. I stood at the center and, when I was done, I strode away, unbound by the path. A moment of beauty, indeed, but I had things to do. I strode back to the car and headed off to…