My Joyous Travel to a New Planet
"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."
-- Greg Anderson
That's certainly true with alcoholism. There is no destination; only a day-to-day journey. On the other hand, coming home from a long trip is to me nearly always a joyous destination. If I am working on a long project, the joy comes with the destination, not the journey.
The saying can work either way, depending on the situation. That's why Mrs. Barber, in high school senior English, made us write an essay about journey/destination from our view. I wrote that the destination was more important, and I wrote well enough that I was chosen to read my essay out loud. I made perfectly good points to support my belief.
One of my best friends, John B., took the opposite point of view. It made such an impression on me I still remember the essence of what he wrote, some 46 years ago.
John told a story of future astronauts on their way to a planet so distant it took them years to arrive, shut off from all communications with earth. They laughed, played games, read books, and generally had a great time during their journey, anticipating their destination with great excitement.
When the astronauts arrived and opened their hatch, they found an entire civilization just like the earth they had left years ago. They learned a new super fuel had been developed after their launch that enabled people to travel to that planet in very little time. And since the astronauts were out of communication with earth, they believed their journey would open up new dimensions for earthlings. The destination was a disappointment.
I don't know why I remember his story, but it clearly left some kind of mark on me. Now that I am an alcoholic, I am one of those out-of-touch astronauts enjoying my journey toward sobriety. I will never get there. But with such a joyous journey with God, it is a wonderful trip I enjoy one day at a time.
-- Greg Anderson
That's certainly true with alcoholism. There is no destination; only a day-to-day journey. On the other hand, coming home from a long trip is to me nearly always a joyous destination. If I am working on a long project, the joy comes with the destination, not the journey.
The saying can work either way, depending on the situation. That's why Mrs. Barber, in high school senior English, made us write an essay about journey/destination from our view. I wrote that the destination was more important, and I wrote well enough that I was chosen to read my essay out loud. I made perfectly good points to support my belief.
One of my best friends, John B., took the opposite point of view. It made such an impression on me I still remember the essence of what he wrote, some 46 years ago.
John told a story of future astronauts on their way to a planet so distant it took them years to arrive, shut off from all communications with earth. They laughed, played games, read books, and generally had a great time during their journey, anticipating their destination with great excitement.When the astronauts arrived and opened their hatch, they found an entire civilization just like the earth they had left years ago. They learned a new super fuel had been developed after their launch that enabled people to travel to that planet in very little time. And since the astronauts were out of communication with earth, they believed their journey would open up new dimensions for earthlings. The destination was a disappointment.
I don't know why I remember his story, but it clearly left some kind of mark on me. Now that I am an alcoholic, I am one of those out-of-touch astronauts enjoying my journey toward sobriety. I will never get there. But with such a joyous journey with God, it is a wonderful trip I enjoy one day at a time.
Comments
Post a Comment