I must confess to not being partial to a companion who is constantly beset with the “Did we” (I’m being generous here… as we all know, it is more likely to be “Did YOU”) “secure the lawn furniture… you know that it is possible for a storm to come up while we are away.” Or “Did we (again…) contact the newspaper to suspend deliveries while we are gone?”… “Did we call the neighbor’s son to mow the grass next week?”… and on, and on. One can not help but wonder why this person has even bothered to embark on the journey. Wouldn’t they be far more at ease simply staying at home, confirming (as frequently as they desire) the status of the lawn furniture; the newspaper delivery; and the length of the grass? And what an enhancement to the sight-seeing experience of their companion (who has to graciously respond to each distraction) they provide!
But please do not be too readily dismissive of them. Do we not also know of someone who is beset with similar compulsions while engaged in their life journey? Choosing to fret about nagging details and, in the process, denying their companion the joy of the moment’s present offering and refusing themselves a legitimate opportunity to live in their own momentary gift? These sorts of diversions certainly do nothing to enhance the enjoyment of passing vistas nor do they add to the sense of oneness in the excursion. And the same applies to some of the (above noted) other groups. Too engaged in concerns about the “timeliness” of moving on… “Is this the right time?”… (whatever the dickens that means!) And then if they do reluctantly decide to move ahead a bit, it is with the constant readiness to (at the least provocation or challenge) say “I KNEW that I should have waited!” What a miserable experience for the companion of this reluctant participant in life!
You can translate the misery dynamic to those who are afraid to move ahead unless they have guarantees that all possible (whether seen and known or unseen and unknown) contingencies have been fully prepared for… and are then constantly on their guard for the possibility of any threats that may present themselves. Don’t you just know that their companion is reveling in the spontaneity of that trip! But the “Just throw caution to the wind” traveler is no more a source of traveling comfort. Knowing that your day-to-day experience of life is vulnerable to the irresponsibilities of a “shoot-from-the-hip cavalier does nothing to bring peace and comfort to a companion. One can be a “seize the moment” (carpe diem) traveler… accepting, embracing, and celebrating life’s offerings as provided by Life… without being irresponsible and careless.
But, oh my, how many of life’s opportunities are wasted even today, by those who either “postpone” their embarkation by clinging to, or cripple the journey begun by refusing to let go of the “I tried this once… and…” (always an unhappy recollection attached); or “You know… I heard about…(or) I know someone who…(or) what if…(or [God help us all… I’ve actually heard this one more than once]) I saw a movie where…” and they carry this sack of garbage with them as they travel… or embrace it as their comfort sack to justify not traveling on at all. Need I even comment on the tragedy of these lives?!All of this having been said, Dear Friend, I write today not to condemn… not to make fun of, diminish, nor discount anyone’s individual circumstance. But my purpose is to hold up a mirror in which we (all of us… myself certainly included) can look at either our currently employed excuses for opting for burrowing deeply into our present circumstance… or examining the quality of our commitment to our journey… and its effect on those who have us as a traveling companion. It is my most sincere hope that these musings are of benefit to you as I remain, Your constant Friend, Traveling Companion, and Servant, John-Michael.
IMAGES through the gracious courtesy of Ian Britton, FreeFoto.com
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