Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Musing on the Journey

“Which is better? Plan and act consciously, or let events take care of themselves?”

Sometimes living follows a natural path through its journey of motion and pulls itself back again for a rest. Some insignificant thing on the spur of the moment seems to facilitate the journey. Sometimes another insignificant thing seems to slow it down.

Also, sometimes, even though you think you are traveling fast, it does not necessarily mean you are on the right road.

Then, you may get hurt or you may hurt yourself, because you are bound to get hurt or wounded on the way. Sometimes it will be your own shoes that get tight and hurt you; at other times, it will be stones hurled at you from the wayside.

So, either planned or unplanned, you stop and search for a treatment to heal yourself.

Finding cures may become a job, too. Some cures act like Bandaids. They keep the mind clean and clear for a period. But your wound, without access to air, may not totally heal. Even the tiniest wounds need oxygen; they need airing. They also need protection from the dirt and bacteria that may attack as if from nowhere.

So you do the best you can and keep moving, because standing on the side of the road, worrying about your wounds will not get you to your destination.

If someone watches out for you, there might be flowers on the path you travel. The trick is not to step on those flowers in the dark. Flowers are delicate beings to be appreciated and enjoyed.

What if the path is too fast and it needs someone traveling with the speed of light? And you are not a fast walker? How do you walk on a path that moves faster than you?

Remember those moving walkways in the airports? Remember how some people try to walk on them, carrying heavy bags? Then, do you remember how others stay on the right side and just let the road take them wherever?

It might not be fast, but if you stay on the right side, the road will get you to your destination. If you get off a moving road, it is a long walk. If you try to walk on a moving road, you may seem to travel faster, but your effort will take a toll on your health and may cause serious injuries. You would not like to stop at midway, due to injuries, do you?

So then, maybe it is better to just stop and stay on the right side of the road when the road, on its own, moves too fast for you, and then, start walking when the road stands there motionless for you to take it.