We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride
I’m feelin’ okay this mornin’
And you know,
We’re on the road to paradise
Here we go, here we go
(Road to Nowhere, David Byrne)
Today it was time to come home again. I had a demonstration of mediumship to do at Bacup Spiritualist church in the afternoon so we set of fairly early in the morning. We made really good time and got back with more than an hour to spare. I was musing about how it always seems to take longer to get somewhere that to get back, especially if you don’t know exactly where you are going. Into my head popped the song Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads. It made me smile as it was a favourite of mine back in the day. It seemed a perfect anthem for a period in my life when I felt I was drifting aimlessly and going nowhere. There is nothing wrong with drifting along without a concrete destination but it’s taken me years to appreciate that!
I’ve very much been used to thinking that I needed a plan, a route and a destination through my life. Going off into the unknown has felt scary or even like I was breaking some invisible set of rules. Yet a destination that’s new can be so rewarding. Our journey to Scotland took five hours with a couple of longish stops. It seemed sort of endless but needing all my concentration because I didn’t know where I was going. On the way back there were two stops as well but very brief. I knew the road and could drive with more confidence. We took just three and a half hours. Of course there was a lot less traffic in the direction we were travelling so less hold ups. I could maintain a steady speed because I didn’t need to look for direction signs. There was much less weaving in and out of lanes with cars jumping in here and there in the effort to get ahead faster. So perhaps having a set place to get to is a benefit.
Life isn’t always like the return trip. It’s often a range of routes to an imagined destination that might or might not be there when you get to it. The only certainty is that at some point your journey will have one final end. Once I started to adjust my thinking about where I was going my journey got easier and easier. There is only one actual final destination for me. I will be going into the afterlife ready to start a new journey. The bit between setting off and getting to my death is about doing the best I can to make a smooth journey for myself. No matter what diversion signs I’ve followed, the u turns, pit stops and straight stretches I want to keep moving forward. The destinations between birth and death have been interesting so far and I’m looking forward to lots more stops. Now I don’t have to worry what those stops will be. I can appreciate there will be times for me to rest & refuel, times to appreciate the view and times to spend time with my travelling companions.
That is the most wonderful thing. We are all on the road to Nowhere and can share so much if we wish. I have recognised something really amazing. There are no rules. Each connection we make with one another is part of the plan, where that connection takes us is the route we follow through life and the destination of life is all about love. I hope you are having an interesting time wherever you are being taken on your road at present. Enjoy the journey!
Day 195 of my blogging challenge. Written on 29th May 2016.