This past weekend I was invited to attend an evening at the Haunted Field of Screams, which is about 20 minutes outside of Denver. Anyone that knows me well would find it highly surprising to hear that I would go to a haunted cornfield, because I am one of the most frightful people. I don’t watch scary movies – my imagination is vivid enough that I do not need any more images put into my head. The scenarios that I can create all on my own are scary enough.
But…I loved the story of how this haunted cornfield was created. Thirteen years ago the creators’ father, who is a farmer, came to his three children and said – “I have these extra acres of the cornfield – use them to create something.” They were just teenagers, but they build out the maze, and with each year they have made it bigger and more intricate. It is now a family run business that employs almost 100 employees and actors each Halloween season.
This father gave his children some space to play, be creative and take some chances – and they created something quite impressive out of it all. There are now a handful of attractions in addition to the Haunted Field of Screams, which include the Dead Man’s Night Maze, the Zombie Paintball Massacre and some kid-friendly options during the day.
I thought this might be a perfect opportunity to conquer one of my fears. I figured that it would give me a chance to realize that I did not need to be so afraid of something that was meant to be harmless and fun, and that I had the power within my own head to not let it bother me. Well – it was a nice idea, but not one that really worked. My friends and I were not even ten minutes into the 45 minute Haunted Field of Screams when we approached one of the actors and asked him to please notify security that we wanted to be escorted out. No joke. Yes, four grown women had to ask to leave a haunted cornfield because they were too frightened. And you know what – I’m alright with that.
As I was in the haunted cornfield, I was thinking to myself – you really do not have anything to prove. If you are not enjoying being frightened, you don’t have to do this. While some might be embarrassed at the thought of being escorted out of something like this – I was not. It might not have been an opportunity to conquer a fear, but it was an example that you should just listen to your instincts. Some fears are meant to be conquered – others are not. It is the difference between conquering something because you want/need to vs. conquering it because you feel like you should.
The staff at Haunted Field of Screams could not have been nicer, and it would be a mecca if I were someone who liked to be frightened. So much time, energy and love has been put into making this haunt worth it for those who come to see it. It also helped me accept the fact that the pumpkin patch and Mini Maze are just more my speed…and that’s…okay.
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