Going Places

People who are working their way through the various processes of preparation and apprenticeship sometimes become discouraged. They see those who have “arrived,”: and they sometimes suppose that the finest satisfactions in life come with having gotten where one is going. But going places can be as thrilling and often more so, than merely having gone places. With children, and with most of us, to be on our way to a picnic can be a greater thrill than already to have been. To have gotten where one wants to go and to sit down and ay “Here I am” would seem to give much satisfaction. And no doubt does – for a time. But those who have sacrificed much to “arrive,” may find that the happiest part was in the process. Or course, a hard climb is a good thing to have over – but not if it’s the last climb! In a final sense, men will never” arrive”: for to arrive finally would mean that there were no more worlds to conquer, no more lessons to learn, no more work to do. But there will always be work to do, and men will always be moving here or hereafter. If it were not so, the present and the past wouldn’t mean much. And so to those who are looking at the climb ahead: Be grateful for a goal that keeps you going, for unsolved problems, for lessons to learn, for interests and obligations that keep you working and moving. You don’t need to have “arrived” already to be happy. You just have to know that you are on your way, and that you’re moving in the right direction. If you know this, you can enjoy the journey, even if you’re far from where you think you want to go.