Once bitten, twice shy.

One memory that still haunts me is the feeling of being completely lost and helpless. It’s the kind of thing that sticks with you, even when you try to shake it off. I can still remember the panic, the sense of time running out, and the worry that I might never find my way back. It’s hard to forget that gut-deep fear, even now.

It all happened during a kindergarten field trip to a pumpkin patch. We were supposed to be having fun picking pumpkins. But my friend and I decided to venture into the corn maze, excited at first, but soon found ourselves completely lost. The stalks seemed to tower over us, and no matter which way we turned, we couldn’t find the exit. I remember the rising panic as we heard the distant sound of the train horn–our class was about to leave, and we were stuck. 

Looking back, it’s kind of funny how something so small felt so huge at the time. That overwhelming feeling of being lost left a mark on me, and I’ve never looked at mazes the same way since. My mom’s proverb perfectly captures how I feel about mazes now. I’m not the first to jump into something that reminds me of the sense of panic–because, well, once bitten, twice shy.