I find that human beings are the funniest creatures alive. When they yearn for something, they start to pray and wish for it to happen so badly that their loves are consumed wholly by it. Two possibilities usually arise from this situation. The first is that through some act of divine intervention or pure dumb luck, they actually get what they want in a relatively short time. The second possibility is that they spend all their time wishing for it to appear, only to realize at the end, that so much time has passed regardless of whether it does appear or not.
I pity the latter folks. They miss everything in between.
The journey. To me, that’s the whole purpose of life. It’s the essence, the core, the heart, the soul of the cosmic forces that tie God, the universe and us together. Needless to say, the goal, or the end product, is also vital; what you achieve in life, how far you go, how significant an impact you’ve made, these are all important too. But for people who prioritise goals overtly as the top agenda, what happens when things don’t go according to plan? What happens if there’s a failure? Will the journey still count? Will all the hope, faith and positivism fade into oblivion? I guess most people would say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to the last two questions respectively, not by choice or genuine belief, but by some consciously formed political and moral diplomatic obligation they have to provide to maintain a state of mental saneness and moral righteousness.
During the 13 days spent at OBS, I’ve learnt to veer away from the goal, and focus on the journey instead. To put things into perspective, the journey of the course took me to a myriad of places, colourful situations, beautiful and spectacular sceneries, a contortion of emotions high and low and it also gave me a special bond among friends and a deeper understanding of the tripartite relationship shared among God, the universe and myself. That was the journey.
The goal, well, was simply that I completed the course.
I completed the course.
Seems rather dull, I would say.
Finally, I can grasp deeper into the moral of the movie, ‘Big Fish’, where colour and the spectacular are the essences of life, and not simply the bare facts and unanimated truths. I could give a bare account of what the daily routine was like those past 13 days, with its monotonous dying tones and flat-ground climaxes. I could, but where would the fun be? Where would the imagination play?
I’d say give the journey emphasis, splashes of yellow, blue, black and white and a hint of purple and orange! Give the walk and the swim a vibrancy like that of meandering waves in the wide open ocean, where a whole other world of sophistication and kaleidoscopic visions hide beneath the seemingly one-toned waters of the South China Sea! Give the sun a raging passion, or the moon her serene healing powers, or even the stars as they stand as the sentinels and guardians of the night.
Let the horns and trumpets sound their greatest, a burst of a triumphant return and a glorious victory of life and all that surrounds it! Invite the majestic angelic chorus to pour forth their glory and splendour, overflowing mercies and grace that descend from God above! Lastly, allow the trees to sway gently in affirmation, her lush leaves rustling softly as a harp to her strings. Let the ground sound with the rumblings from our footsteps,
For our journeys have already begun.
this one's for you guys.
