Wandering

Today I was walking through the airport (on my way back from San Francisco) and saw a quote by J.R.R. Tolkein painted on the wall of a book store: "Not all who wander are lost." I stopped and wrote it down, because it struck a chord. Sometimes wandering can be quite enjoyable! I have always liked taking the back roads, and even though I might not arrive at my destination as quickly as I might have otherwise, I enjoy the journey much more.

Sometimes I am so focused on my destination that I ignore the path that leads me there. I can be quite driven when it comes to accomplishing goals, so much so that I acquire a bit of "tunnel vision" and forget to look around me, to stop and smell the roses. There is a story in one of my favorite books, "The Phantom Tollbooth," about a boy who visits an invisible city. Everywhere he looks people are rushing to get from one place to another, and nobody seems to notice that the city they are living in has completely disappeared. They are so focused on themselves and their "urgent errands" that it doesn't occur to them to look around!

I have taken a few vacations with my family where we have driven across much of the country (our longest trip was from Utah to Mighigan, and we spent a lot of time on the back roads). I have noticed that in smaller towns there is a fairly relaxed way of life, things move more slowly. It is comfortable and enjoyable for me, because I try to relax when I am on vacation and not pack too many things in. But when I approach a big city there is a feeling of urgency. Cars drive faster and the tension slowly builds until the city is behind me, then it diminishes again. That's the speed I live my life at, except when I am on vacation. And I rarely stop to ask myself why I must complete my personal tasks and assignments and errands so quickly.

So today I commit myself to doing a little more wandering, to get off the beaten path once in a while and explore the unknown wonders with no particular purpose in mind. I commit myself to enjoying the journey as well as the destination.