Getting Lost...in a Maze

Lots of people west of.....Pennsylvania, let's say, don't have a clue about New Jersey's vast countryside and farmlands. It's really a gorgeous place once you get past Meadowlands (sounds pastoral, but ugh) and Newark. Heck, even Elizabeth has some really neat old buildings in its downtown; I can see them from the train. I'm going to stop there sometime and check it out for myself.
The point is, don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, don't judge New Jersey by the view from the Turnpike. Here in the Delaware Valley the countryside is drop-dead gorgeous especially as the leaves start to fall.
As Halloween approaches we are treating ourselves and our children to some fun fall events...like the Howell Living History Farm's amazing Corn Maze.
This is not your average pumpkin patch kiddy activity. These guys are serious--4 acres of an intricate horseshoe mirror pattern that the guides promise we'll get out of in oh, about an hour and a half if we're good. Tim and I looked at each other, gazed up at the hot October sky, quickly assessed how long we'd survive without sunblock and bottled water, then plunked down $30 for the privilege of getting lost.
Amidst the rows of tall, dry corn are 8 mailboxes. Each mailbox holds a piece of the map. Once you find all 8 pieces of the map you can find your way out. We quickly got into the spirit of things and pressed on, each of us sure that our way was the right way.
We stared at tall, rustling corn stalks for a very long time. Mazes do mess with your mind--you feel sure you've discovered a different path, then you see that the mailbox was one you had already opened 3 rounds back. Four acres is a lot of corn.
In about 1/2 hour, the kids got pretty hot and thirsty. We began to notice that there were tiny crawlthroughs on some of the paths, the unsanctioned shortcuts to key trails and mailbox cul-de-sacs. Nope, that would be cheating. Can't do it. At least not when the other participants were looking.
Other tired parents were starting to break. The entire moral code of the group, like a page out of Lord of the Flies, began to fray and soon we were able to rationalize our cheating as tactical scouting. By mailbox #8 we were all in collusion to finish our maps and walk triumphantly over the bridge. Free at last!
We walked back to the little gift shop that had taken our money in the beginning. "How did you like it?" said the lady in charge. We said very much, only next year we'll come prepared with provisions.
My daughter Caroline picked up a postcard showing an aerial view of the maze and said, "Hey mom, why didn't we just buy this map before we started?"
She's so smart.