The Labyrinth of the Heart

The man stopped, bending over, weeping until his tears seemed to fill a gaping hole in his heart he had not noticed was there.

Just a few days before, Daedalus, the master craftsman and architect, was called on by the infamous King Minos of Crete to construct a Labyrinth, with winding paths and walls that stood high above anyone’s head. He was told that it was to trap the Minotaur.  He gladly accepted the commission and soon he had built a never-ending, always winding maze to trap a monster. He had thought it was only for the good of the people. But alas! The cold-blooded King Minos had imprisoned Daedalus in the Labyrinth never to tell the secret of this mystical maze. Icarus, his son, had been trapped with him. Seeking freedom, Daedalus used feathers and wax to create pairs of wings for him and Icarus. He warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, or too close to the ocean, for the wax would melt and the feathers would dampen. When they flew, Icarus’s wings brought him higher and higher, closer to the sun. As the sun’s hot rays melted the wax, Icarus teetered. Alas, he began his descent, falling into the ocean with a splash unheard by anyone else, never to be seen again. Daedalus was overcome with grief and anger, but in the end, there was nothing he could do. After the disastrous escape, it was still all for naught. A few days later, Minos killed Daedalus, and that is the end of the story. 

Some call it a myth, and that was what it was, wasn’t it? However some still speculate. What if Daedalus learned from his mistake and chose another path? What could he have done differently…?
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Daedalus’s mind spun, considering every possible solution, despite the weight of his son’s death. What if he hadn’t let him go? He pondered. Was there another way out? 

He sat at the edge of a high cliff, staring into the depths of the sea where his son had fallen to his own desperate attempt to escape the horror of the Maze he himself had built. Grief spread throughout his mind, but he had something else to focus on. 

He thought back to his time as an apprentice. All the philosophers, masters of intellect, and teachers he looked up to valued knowledge, not family and love. He followed in their footsteps and sought fame and fortune. But most of all, he wanted to prove himself worthy. However it was only at this moment of sorrow when he realized that it would simply be futile to wish for such meaningless matters. He had never truly learned for life–to live it well, to make the right choices, to understand the weight of responsibility.

“What is the purpose of learning if not to live better?” Daedalus asked himself. 

He had built the Labyrinth, a wonder of engineering, to trap a monster. But he had never stopped to consider the pain and suffering of others who would encounter the horrendous beast.

He took a deep breath and turned his face away from the ocean.

He walked away from the sandy shore and a flicker of hope lit the way as he realized that it wasn’t too late to change his life.

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Days turned into weeks, and Daedalus found himself in a small village near the coastside of Crete. He was eager to rebuild his life as he stood at the steps of his new home.

He taught the villagers how to use tools. He enriched their lives by caring for them, by working with them side by side, by living together and loving each other.

Here, he did not use his knowledge for praise. He did not use his knowledge for wealth. Here, he used his knowledge for the betterment of everyone around him. 

He taught the people how to use the resources around them, how to use them sparingly and to the best of their ability. He gave them not knowledge but strength and wisdom. He gave them the lives that they dreamed of.

He taught with empathy, with care. He taught his new friends and family the value of balance–how to dream but not to fly too high, how to love but not to cling too tightly.

As time passed, he learned more about community. He realized that life itself is just like the Labyrinth, with unprecedented twists and turns. Life doesn’t follow instructions. Life is filled with chaos, but with it comes whimsical beauty.

One day, a young apprentice ran up to Daedalus and asked him, “How did you come to know what you wanted to achieve in your life? Why did you want to help our village?”

Daedalus chuckled and smiled, “I learned this way of life not from scholars, nor books. I learned instead from my experiences in my life. I learned from my mistakes, from my shortcomings, and the community I met.”

“But didn’t you construct a Labyrinth, one no one could escape?” The boy urged. “How did you come from building that for the King to then helping our village?”

“Yes, I built the Labyrinth,” Daedalus continued, “but that is not of importance. The real maze is your heart, your dreams. They are the things that you must truly spend your whole life navigating.”

After this conversation, Daedalus returned to his home as he looked down at his work. He was proud of what had become of his village, the one he built his life upon.

Here, he found solace. Here, he found peace. Here, he found himself. Here, he found who he truly was. Here, he was simply a man. Here, he was himself.

Perhaps, Daedalus thought, this was the true escape: to learn not for school, not for glory, not for power, but for the life that unfolded before him.