The Easter Egg

Saturday night, my friends and I discovered a pink, plastic Easter egg hidden in a vending machine at a small, local beach in my hometown. Mind you, this was pre-Easter. Inside the egg was a clue. Some scrambled words that led to the alleged location of the next egg in the hunt, “middle school bleachers”. Of course, we had to seek it out. And so, the three of us travelled to the middle school and searched the bleachers. Each and every seat. Walking up and down the rows and peering underneath. Finally, we found a second egg. Unfortunately, this one was open already with no clue in sight.

But our search did not stop there. We decided to predict where the rest of the eggs were hidden. And ended up walking through a nearby playground, cell phone flashlights switched on, and then a public park, trudging through the darkness in hopes we’d stumble upon another egg. We didn’t find another. But it kept us occupied for some time. It was an absurd task. But it took me back to childhood... and the beauty of pursuing and engaging in the absurd.

As you’d expect, at 26 years old, I haven’t been on an Easter egg hunt in years. And those I used to go on were, for the most part, confined to indoors at my house. Yet... this past Saturday night... I went on an outrageous hunt spanning different outdoor locations. We only found two eggs. But that didn’t matter. It was amazing.

Don’t judge me. There’s a child inside my soul waiting for any opportunity to break out. And those plastic eggs we found gave me and my friends the chance. There’s a thrill in the search. I lose personal items all the time, so looking for something is not unusual for me... but there’s something different, more satisfying about seeking out a prize for the simple novelty of feeling accomplished.

I want to go on a scavenger hunt again. Or, better yet, create one myself. I want to pull something together that has no functional purpose except to entertain. I want to engage in the absurd. Immerse myself in play. Become a child. And do everything “stupid” and silly in the book.

I’m thankful I had two friends with me who were willing to indulge in the hunt. And I’m thankful that, by chance, we found that first Easter egg that sparked our search. In my near future, I hope I find more ridiculous opportunities like this. And that I always surround myself with people open to be ridiculous with me. It’s fun to have fun. And it’s nice to be a kid again...