It's not the destination...

Where are you going?

Where am I going?

Where are we all going?



For years and years I have continued to ask myself Where am I going? I'm not talking about the grocery store, school, Monterey for the weekend, or the premier of Nacho Libre. I'm not really even talking about career paths either. I'm referring to a destination of your state of mind.

One answer oftened heard from yours truly to that question: I'm going crazy! That was a cute retort of mine when I was in radio, ie, when my job was being paid to regurgitate cute retorts for a living.

Twenty five years ago I could have honestly answered that destination question without any trouble. Hell...I could have honestly answered that destination question five years ago without too much hesitation. It was relatively obvious to me where I wanted to go. I wanted to go to the next place in my career, in money, in stature, in business. I wanted a bigger, better house...a bigger, better car...bigger, better vacations. Hell...I even daydreamed about having a bigger, better johnson! I had a clear picture of my next step(s) in life. In fact, I even had a good idea of what my semi-final destination should be. I say "semi-final" because everyone's final destination is death...right? That is where it all ends...that is where the final stop sign is...the last hurrah...the last busstop...the ultimate pink slip. We won't go into so-called after-life horseshit here because I believe it is just that...happy horseshit! This, naturally, is fodder for other blogs. My wish for a semi-final destination was that I be a self-actualized individual. My take on what self-actualized means? Getting to a point in one's life in which you are exactly where you want to be and where you should be. That should part is where much internal debate arises. A college psychology professor introduced me to the saying (during some informal therapy for me), "Never should on yourself". In other words, you have arrived at a point in your life where you are truly happy with yourself, what you are doing, and what you have done...don't concern yourself with the world's preception of what you should be. Is this making any sense yet? Be patient...it will.

Believe me when I say this. I am not a fanatic on any one type of religion or ancient Asian philosophy. But there is a way of life that seems to make more sense than most of the others. It is the teachings of Tao.

Tao is not a person. Tao is not a religion per say. Tao is a way of life. Simply put (and I emphasize the word simply), if you know the Way, then you know the goal, because the goal is not at the very end of the Way, the goal is all along the Way - each moment and each step it is there. Very simple is the message: You have to find the Way! The Way is everything. The Journey is everything. The Journey is the goal. It's not the destination...it's the journey.

Sure, I know what you are saying, "Well...if you are a Taoist monk, and can sit in a temple in saffron robes with all your constituents bringing you food and gifts every day, this would appear to make more sense". But who can do that? I know I can't. We poor slobs with mortages, bills, and college funds need to work and make money. No argument here. But remember this. It's not the destination, it's the journey. Along the Way, one must make the attempt to enjoy the Way! That's as simple as I can put in writing in several paragraphs.

I thought about a few contemporary lines that may pertain to and exemplify this Way of life.

Jeff Spiccoli (Sean Penn) in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, "Hey dude...let's party!"

Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, "Honey, it ain't the years...it's the mileage!"

Del Griffith in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, "Oh...that'll buff right out."

(unknown, although a song was featured in Easy Rider), "Don't bogart that joint!"

Does it make more sense now?