What kind of journey are you on? Will it take you to far-away places full of excitement and adventure? Or are your explorations that of introspection and renewal? Is it your intent to reach an exotic locale that can be pinpointed on a map or come to a place that is transformative and life-changing? Are you on a journey or are you on a quest?
It was in the early morning hours, the pre-5:00 am time slot when the house was quiet, Ivy and her tormentor Leo, the cat were still asleep, I found myself reading in the book of Ecclesiastes, although not intentionally. If you are unfamiliar with this text found in the Old Testament, it’s worth a quick read, just a few short chapters written in the form of poetry. His words were familiar but that morning I was drawn to how the author referred to himself; as “the Quester.” Unsure of the meaning of this word, I did a Google search, then another search of some reference materials finally finding the concept used in a sentence. “One of the most appealing things about the questers in The Wizard of Oz is that they already possessed what they sought – they simply needed the quest to reveal their hitherto hidden qualities.” In the span of about 10-minutes I went from ancient Hebrew theology to the philosophical underpinnings of the Wizard of Oz.
Maybe it’s time to revisit the question. Are you on a journey or are you on a quest? In my simple way of thinking, a journey conjures up thoughts of wandering and exploring. Nomad-ish, like that family vacation without any real itinerary. We just go. I love those trips. But a quest is much different. It implies purpose and intent. Solomon, the author of the Ecclesiastes, is considered to be the wisest and wealthiest that has ever lived. Yet at the end of his life, he uses terms like, “meaningless, dust, worthless.” The purpose of his quest was to understand what gives life meaning. More specifically, after a life-long search for pleasure he wanted an answer to the question “what did I miss?”
In reference to the Oz quote, the questers, the Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Dorothy, the writer implies that each already had what they were looking for, they just needed to embark on the quest, to “reveal” qualities that were hidden. Their challenge was that each of them couldn’t see beyond a perceived weakness, or a flaw in their character or personality, that was framing how they see themselves; timid and weak, mindless and heartless.
At the risk of generalizing the two anecdotes, I am left to believe that quests are inevitable! Whether we embark on one in search of an answer to a gnawing question or one is thrust upon us as a result of the storms of life; quests happen! Are you on a quest? Or are you on a journey? For me, what started out as a journey, navigating the realities of living with PD, has turned into so much more. I have come to accept that the journey phase is nearing its end. Using Solomon’s words, there is a time to mourn and a time to dance. But like the Quester I still must wrestle with some of the same questions as he. “What did I miss…Is this all there is?” or maybe even “has anyone seen my horse?” Solomon refers to this season as a time to seek.
And like the questers in search of Oz, will the quest in itself teach me something about myself that I had not known; something that was always there? Will I find courage, understanding or even a heart? Or will I find myself back in Kansas shopping for a new pair of red high-tops.
The quest is underway. The best part is that I don’t have to quest alone. “Ivy get your leash, oh and few of those little bags.”
To be continued…
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Al and his faithful companion, Ivy the wonder pup.