<p>I spent forever trying to write this damn “Find x.” essay on Jan 2nd, at around 8:30 I stopped trying and just kinda wrote whatever came to mind and this is what was born. And hey, I got in so something worked. </p>
<p>I cleared my mind, opened my eyes, and found myself in a labyrinth, in pursuit of the elusive “x.” I sprinted through its twists and turns, but found myself stumped by the changing stairways, dead-ends and incomplete staircases. The more I wandered through the maze, the more lost I became. Stumbling through, I swore “x” was just around each and every corner, dancing away from me just as peered around. I sat down, closed my eyes, frustrated by my inability to find “x” and decided to try again. </p>
<p>I realized I was seated at a desk, a Calculus 6 book in front of me. Confused, I opened the book and just saw lines and lines of an equation, seemingly endless, filled with indecipherable symbols. Flipping through the book, I saw the problem ran through its entirety, coming to a stop on the last page. This whole, convoluted, insane problem all came down to “=x.” Turning back to the cover, I started at the beginning of the problem. I sat for hours, adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying, integrating, expanding, and differentiating until I got stuck. All my work had amounted to nothing – I was barely closer to finding “x.” I sank my head onto the book in despair. </p>
<p>I felt myself fall headfirst through the book. I landed in a ball pit. Dazed, I pulled myself out to find myself in the most bizarre amusement park I’d ever seen: roller coasters made of spider legs and carrots, a Ferris Wheel that rolled around the park, bumper fish instead of bumper cars, a disco fun house, and a strangely normal looking high-striker game. As I stepped carefully through the park, I sensed movement in corner of my eye, moving toward the fun house. I peeked inside and saw it. Hundreds of reflections of the “x” laughing at me as I ran aimlessly ran around, trying to find the “x” amidst the mirrors and flashing lights. I made my way out of the fun house, realizing it was no longer there, and spotted it at the top of the high-striker. I walked over to it, picked up the mallet, and watched the puck fly up the track. Just as the puck approached the bell, the tower grew. Angrily, I slammed the mallet down again. The puck flew up and yet again, the tower grew. Furiously, I pummeled the mallet down over and over again but each time, the tower just grew until it resembled a small skyscraper. Arms exhausted, I raised the mallet for one last swing, but just ended up collapsing backwards, blacking out as I hit the ground. </p>
<p>I awoke and found myself enveloped in mist. I moved my hand, attempting to locate the mallet but couldn’t find it where I had dropped it. I cautiously moved forward and found that the high-striker was no longer there either. I ran blindly in every direction, trying to find somewhere, anywhere to go. As I ran into the endless oblivion, I tripped, rolled a few times and came to stop. Instead of getting up, I buried my head between my knees. I decided right then and there, I was done hunting for the “x,” done trying to take it down, done trying to conquer it. My brain had been scattered, creating these completely nonsensical paths trying to find “x” for so long, I’d almost lost sight of what I was actually trying to do. There had never been one way to “x.” Not one single answer would ever bring me to “x.”</p>
<p>I failed to notice the mist clearing. I opened my eyes and saw a glass floor beneath me. I got up, stunned, and scanned below me, amazed at the sights below me: a colossal labyrinth, a single desk, and an amusement park. Bewildered, I whirled around, trying to find something on this glass pane. I spun continuously until I saw it floating – that “x” I had been looking for. I approached warily, afraid it would disappear. I stopped about a foot in front of it. It seemed to be looking at me. I put my hand out. It turned and ran. I stood still with my hand out. It “looked” back and saw I hadn’t moved. It came back slowly and stopped in front of me. I looked down at my crazy journeys, took a breath and looked back at it. It put its hand out. Nervously, I reached forward and grasped. “X” was mine.</p>