Sandy Supposes....

Lost In a Labyrinth of Learning

PROMPT November 1st

What fun it is starting an Official Round on a Thursday! Seasoned competitors will know that Thursdays are what we refer to around here as "Wildcard Rounds." Anything can happen, so you'd best be on your toes.

Unfortunately, I have bad news for you - during your wild Halloween escapades, you’ve found yourself lost in a labyrinth. The "Writing.Com 101" labyrinth to be exact! I think there’s a Minotaur in here, so you’d better hurry and find a way to escape! Luckily, before entering the labyrinth, I gave each of you a cookie (your choice of flavor), a paperclip, and a toy truck for your amusement. There are two ways to free yourself from the labyrinth: 1.) Learn something new and teach us what you learned, or 2.) Dig your way free with the tools provided. Good luck *Devilish* OH MY GOD! Did this actually work? Have I successfully embedded a video into my blog for the first time ever? I certainly hope so. Have I jumped the gun, and celebrated prematurely?

         I must admit that I have no memory of how I came to be lost in a labyrinth. Until this happened, labyrinths had never been on my radar. They were not on my list as potential sites to visit, nor were they on my to- avoid- at- all- costs list. My knowledge of this place lacked a foundation, and so while I wandered I accessed my cellphone to Google some clarification.

         Okay...Google verified what I'd begun to realize, a labyrinth is an elaborate maze-like construction built to keep something contained. Well, lucky me, I'd fulfilled this place's purpose, it's raison d'etre. Oh, and yes, apparently a labyrinth traditionally imprisons a minotaur.

         After more furtive online research, I identified this creature as a rather large being with the body of a man, and the head and tail of a bull. For a brief moment, I flashed on the astrological sign of the bull, Taurus. Most likely not at all similar.

         Had I not devoured the delicious peanut butter/ chocolate chip cookie, I could've offered it as a bribe if and when I encountered a minotaur. I'm not an expert when it comes to half man/ half bull "people" so their cookie of choice is a mystery. Thanks for the treat Emily, but I failed to envision a bakery item being employed as a digging implement. Alas, my weakness is cookies. Even if I'd improvised and flung the cookie at the anticipated minotaur it would've been a colossal waste of a perfectly fine cookie. Crumbled cookie will not deter anyone. Better that I enjoyed it and boosted my strength.

         Anyway, fortified by my cookie and feeling less encumbered by items to carry, I stumbled along the maze. Notice I avoided the description of my foray as a walk. My uncoordinated and uncooperative feet never propel me as a unified team. They choose to bicker, and thus surprise me with their half-hearted efforts. This struggle preoccupies me.

         After a tumble, I took note of how dense the floor appeared to be. Nope, digging my way out of the labyrinth would not happen. I admit, I did not relish getting my hands dirty, or working up a sweat. The act of balancing on my own two reluctant feet was exertion enough for me. I took advantage of my close connection to the ground, to just sit and ponder.

         What occurred next caught me off guard . Sure, I'd anticipated that an actual minotaur might discover me, but I'd also hoped that such an encounter would not/ could not materialize. Events exploded around me. I felt and heard something whoosh past me. The ground beneath me shook as a roar filled the air. Dirt plumes swirled. I swiped at my disbelieving eyes. Sprawled a few feet from me , a rather large bulk with horns moaned. Crushed nearby, I saw the toy truck that I'd dropped. The scene struck me as ludicrous, and I snickered. Despite a fierce glare, I could not stop. The minotaur failed to strike fear in my heart. He had proven himself to be as clumsy as me.

          Shaking his head and rubbing his butt, the minotaur grinned. I marvelled at his enormous teeth and the flare of his nostrils. He had more shocks in store.

          "Hey, how's it goin', eh?"

          What? This mythical creature not only could speak, but he seemed to verbalize the Canadian vernacular. Gasp! Could he possibly calculate the size of this labyrinth in kilometres? Did he prefer maple syrup smothering his pancakes? Was he a diehard Maple Leafs fan proudly wearing the colour blue? He probably would choose to snack on a butter tart instead of a cookie.

         I returned his smile with one of my own, and mumbled, "Beauty day, eh?" To not return a friendly greeting is tantamount to rudeness, and a Canadian is never rude.

         I learned that the minotaur craved company and conversation. In time, he agreed to assist me with my quest to navigate this Writing.com101 labyrinth. He'd been everywhere.

         Without hesitation, he led me to the main room and proffered some sage advice.

         "Take the time to read the instructions and then follow the directions."

         What could I respond? I couldn't very well say, "duh, I know." As I wrote way back at the beginning of this blog, I wanted to learn how to embed a video. Here then is what I learned. On the Writing,com101 page find Posting Contents and Item Types. Click on option 2d Embedding Photos and Media Files in Books. First, you need to have an upgraded membership. The instructions mentioned first creating and saving an entry. Then return to that piece via edit mode and add: {enbed:YOUTUBEURL}. Oh, you'll need to have copied the URL of your chosen video and replace the URL section between the brackets with the rather long set of numbers and letters. Whoo, I believe that's it.

         This first blog post of November has been an exercise. The minotaur took the paperclip off my hands. I foresaw no immediate use for it and he seemed thrilled to have it. In all likelihood, he crafts towering fantastical beasts from any and all wayward paper clips he rescues.

(This is an edit.... Sigh, my embed failed. Alas, I have generated an error message. )