The Journey
There are no reasons in the world for me to race across the world in Chris Guillebeau’s fashion to tick and mark all countries on the UN list as “visited”… It is just not for me. I read once that traveling at the speed of light, one would need more time than the estimated life expectancy of the universe to simply go around the said universe. Outside of their faster than light thoughts, humans don’t seem to be designed for this sort of enterprise…
Nevertheless, at times, Chris comes up with a jewel that strikes a chord; I would like to echo him and share the following poem with you today:
The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.
Yes Mary, one day I finally knew…
