I don't mean to be rude or unkind, but "Get lost", no really, get lost and see where you find yourself.

I had a book to return to someone whose house I had visited only once before. It was about a 30 minute walk from my house through a park and recreational ground. I had a vague idea of where it was so was not overly concerned about not being able to find the house in question.

I made one wrong turn about 5 minutes from the destination, so I simply asked the next person who walked by, where the street in question was. We exchanged pleasantries and I went on my way. I found the house, deposited the book and decided since I was out and about, I might as well do a small shop for a few basics on the way home. I knew where I was heading sort of, but decided to follow my nose and see where it led me.

About 10 minutes in, I asked a young lad if I was heading in the right direction – no doubt he was completely perplexed as to why I hadn't simply looked at the map on the phone. But this was the point exactly. I was in a different part of town that I didn't know at all and so I wanted to explore it, not just pass through it. I spoke with several people along the way and had a thoroughly enjoyable walk.

I was open to whatever the journey brought. I was relaxed and unconcerned. Worse case scenario, I could have taken a bus in the general direction of home. I was not exactly in a threatening environment and I wasn't 'lost' as such, I was simply meandering my way home through a part of town I didn't know.

It struck me that it is not often we get the opportunity to set off on a journey with no real intention. Generally, we try to get from A to B in the shortest, fastest space of time. We try to get to the intended destination from the onset, from the first step taken on our thoroughly planned out journey.

I have now firmly decided that I am in absolutely no rush whatsoever to get to my destination, is it not the journey that counts, as the expression goes? I have finally understood this. What, after all, do we do when we reach our destination? Is it the end or is it the beginning? I have absolutely no idea, but either way, I'm in no race to find out. I am going to embrace the journey, ups and down, twists and turns, that it will undoubtedly continue to take. Seems to me, put like this, that it's a far more interesting journey than a long straight road ahead.

Try it, try getting lost! Set out with no intended destination in mind and see where you find yourself.

(Reminds of " The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry". If you are looking for a good read, borrow a copy.)

Millie

A Moodscope member.