Journey or Destination?

Anniversaries are special:  celebrating memories and milestones; picturing who we were then and are now; recalling the ups and downs of the journey that got us where we are today.  Anniversaries are events in and of themselves: one point along the Journey Forward.

When Holland America announced its 150th anniversary, I wanted to be on that celebratory voyage:  a trip from Rotterdam to New York City, duplicating the original Atlantic crossing in 1872, bringing European immigrants to the New World.

A Journey of Hopes and Dreams!

How often do you wait to begin?
(Photo: KLM airline video display of route
from Los Angeles to Amsterdam - Larry Gardepie)

Sitting on that airplane in Los Angeles, I saw the monitor that said "Destination: Amsterdam."  I had already survived the perpetual traffic jam around LAX, the long lines to check in and go through security, walking under the taxiways to get to the extension terminal of Tom Bradley International... I was already tired!

Here I was on the plane, but the destination seemed so far away!

 

Do we notice the gulf that separates journey and destination?
(Photo: KLM airline video display of route
from Los Angeles to Amsterdam - Larry Gardepie)

 
My 12-hour flight to Amsterdam could not compare to that original multi-day trip to the New World in 1872, but I wondered about the impatience or fatigue that sets in as we journey towards our destinations.  What keeps us going?  What helps us to survive?

 Once in Amsterdam, we found transport to Rotterdam and then waited a day to board our vessel home.  One Destination Arrived became another departure point:  I had arrived, but the journey was set to begin again.

When have you arrived... only to find out
it is time to leave?
(Photo: Hotel New York staircase - original home
offices of Holland Amerika Lijn - Larry Gardepie)

I wonder if our movement through life is not about arriving.  Rather, maybe life is about Being Present to where we are now and the direction of our searching.  It is the blending together of Both-And... Journey and Destination and Journey and Destination...  Always-and-Never-Arriving!

In a sense, dialogue is like this:  we think we know someone, but then they do something unexpected.  That is, with assumptions and judgments, we may incorrectly conclude that we know this person and what they will do or say.  When we ask questions and allow curiosity to take over, we are constantly surprised and continue to learn about that person.  Destination reveals itself in Journey, and Journey focuses on the Destination.

What journey are you on now?  Have you shared your hopes and dreams with others?
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

Life is Good

Whether at home, work, or leisure, we seek out what is routine and normal: those Patterns of Familiarity which bring comfort and a sense of security.  Just think of what soothes you throughout the day:  your typical wake up time; the morning beverage and food that starts the day; steps taken to ensure Loved Ones are prepared for their day; the route to work or what is completed before work begins… so many comfortable or normal patterns that define our days.

I wonder if that is why so many people felt uprooted or unnerved these past few years as our “normal” days were changed… we were afloat… life’s ordinariness beyond our control.

Where is your focus?
(Photo: Hawaiian Sunset, Larry Gardepie)

As these pandemic-affected years have given way to a different normal, I have found the need to break free from my day-to-day life, a desire to vacate the routines — “vacation from” these norms.  My solace is being on the ocean, a routine familiar before COVID… but also changed.  Each day is recognizable, but there are Moments Inspired — beyond my control — that distract me from the norms and usual rhythms of a day at sea.

Sometimes a breakthrough occurs as I encounter a new situation, cross paths with a companion traveler, or catch site of a beautiful sunrise or sunset.  The day seems different because of these unexpected encounters:  life is changed!

What rays of hope do you see on the horizon?
(Photo: Sunset over Pacific Ocean, Larry Gardepie)

 As I grow older, I find that I need both the familiar and the unexpected… the normal and the extraordinary… and I have limited control over what happens next!  Life is Good when I handle what I can, and then go along for the ride when the unexpected happens.

Seeking balance sometimes means letting go of my perceptions of how life should be — how I want it to be — and realize that others are experiencing much different realities than mine.

Can you see the goodness in yourself and others?
(Photo:  Sunset over Sea of Cortez, Larry Gardepie)

 
For instance, the war between Russia and Ukraine has unbalanced many of our lives.  Am I willing to let go of my frustration and anger over higher prices and realize that others are suffering much greater losses than I am?  Can I listen to a larger global message and realize that wars between nations and difficulties between individuals have similar roots?  Can I see goodness in others even when our norms are not aligned?

May we focus on the unexpected.  May we accept when future horizons cannot be controlled.  May we find a Willingness Within to see goodness in others.

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)