Thoughts from a shirt

I have this shirt. It's really a T-shirt with long sleeves, but it's very comfortable and quickly becoming my favorite. You know, that favorite item you wear too much. The one that soon your wife or significant other will quietly whisk away. They do it out of love and concern for you, of course. They want to make sure you're not making a fool of yourself, again. Boy, do I miss some of those shirts and shoes... Well, before I digress any further let me get back to the real reason I was thinking about this shirt. Emblazed on the shirt is a pair of hiking boots and under them the words: "Not all who wander are lost". Now, I know there are many shirts around today that have a lot to say. Some say things that are comical. Some profess political opinion and bend. Others attest to their geographic roots, while still others show us a glimpse of the beauty of art and the world around us.

For me, however, this shirt had an immediate and profound message the first time I laid eyes on it. At first I thought it just 'felt' right, but as I wore it again and again, I realized why this shirt had moved me in this way. No one word or catchy phrase can be wholly descriptive of a person, but if I had to sum up my thoughts of life in just one sentence I don't think I could have done much better.

What this phrase means to me is that a life well lived is one where we engage in it completely. Those who wander, whether geographically, philosophically, or in any other way are the ones who are continually seeking. It might be peace of mind. A better life for themselves or their loved ones. Knowledge or truth. Spiritual guidance or meaning. Wandering may take any of these or other forms. I believe what ever form it takes, initially it stems from the deep unquiet of our own mortality. Even if one believes in an immortal hereafter, in one form or another, we are not blind to the fact that at least here in this plane of existence, our time is finite. We might be unable to put into words how to describe this anxiety, or even think about it too much. Not aloud at least. We should not of course, look at this as a morbid topic, one rife with trepidation. But, one which ultimately can lead us to conclude that we must live our lives fully, now. This inner awareness of the finite aspect of our existence can then be used as a force to propel us to be wanderers and explores of our own lives. One might find the exploration of their faith as a way to open their eyes to the wonder of their existence. Others use science, philosophy, travel, study, or any other assortment or combination of these to explore and engage within their own lives more fully. It matters not the way in which one chooses to wander about life in general, as long as one does so fully and truthfully.

You see, while thinking about the message on the shirt I realized the opposite is also true. That those who do not wander are mostly lost. Any one of us could be lost in our jobs, careers, religious dogma, philosophical dogma, political dogma or in any way in which we think we have arrived at the end of the road of knowledge. Therefore, to wander around and seek truth is a silly waste of time. Those who stop seeking or wandering about usually feel they have arrived at the truth, either through investigation or adaptation to someone else’s interpretation of truth. They become very dogmatic and stuck in their own colloquial town of truth. And once settled there seem, at least to me, to become lost in conformity. I for one hope never to settle down and grow roots in any of these dogmatic towns.

In fact, the whole idea of this blog was just that. A place were I could wander out loud about the meaning of life and the meaning of existence in general. A place where not only could I wander alone, but hopefully in my travels come together with other Canterbury wanderers on our way to self and universal discovery. Here, in this seeking, may we find immortality in every spec of time ascribed to us.

As for the shirt, I will continue to wear it not for the message I send to others around me, but to remind myself that I am not lost.

In case anyone was wondering...

Just a small note to let anyone interested in knowing why I've not posted anything since my original post. Shortly after I entered my first post, I enrolled in Graduate school. I am attending SMU and working on my Master of Liberal Arts. I've decided to do this in order to broaden my horizons. This is not strictly a career move, but mainly a luxury for someone who is continually on the quest for knowledge.

Anyhow, I will be publishing my papers here as I write them, and am currently working on two other posts specifically written for this blog. They are in draft form at the moment. As soon as I finish this semester I will be posting them.

It occured to me...

It occurred to me today that aspirations come from the hardships of life, not from the easy comforts of an effortless life.

Might as well...

As this form of expression is becoming very common, and I’ve had a long time desire to have a place to journal, communicate with family and friends, rant and rave, preach, and pass on some thoughts to a wider audience, I've decided to become a part of this new experiment of world consciousness and Meme transmission. Being a big reader, I've always envisioned writing a book some day. I guess this IS a way to be published.

I hope to share with the visitors to this blog some aspect of my persona. I will be sharing many thoughts and concerns of mine, as well as comments on my past, current, and future reads. As I develop my style of blogging I hope to give as much as I get out of this experience.

Well, enough for now.