To Those Who Matter

 

Having recently eschewed social media in favor of sanity and self-preservation, I have been left with a bit of a dilemma. For several years now, my form of journaling has manifested itself through social media posts. I have shared my travels, pictures and sometimes small insights and thoughts about the world around me as I find it. While that may have been only of value to me, it did serve to keep a record. It occurred to me as was out hiking today that I might try my hand at writing a blog to solve this dilemma. While its purpose may morph in time, the intention of this blog at present would be only to share with close friends and family. Although it may wind up just being a personal outlet, the act of sharing it with my small circle will hopefully help me to maintain the motivation to continue to keep this record.

As most of you know, Wendell Berry happens to be one of my favorite contemporary authors. Wendell writes fiction, non-fiction, essays and poetry. He has been prolific and profound and there is a Wendell Berry quote for just about any subject or situation (so dear reader, get ready to learn a lot of them!) The title of my blog comes from my favorite Berry book, Jayber Crow .......

"If you could do it, I suppose, it would be a good idea to live your life in a straight line - starting, say, in the Dark Wood of Error, and proceeding by logical steps through Hell and Purgatory and into Heaven. Or you could take the King's Highway past the appropriately named dangers, toils, and snares, and finally cross the River of Death and enter the Celestial City. But that is not the way I have done it, so far. I am a pilgrim, but my pilgrimage has been wandering and unmarked. Often what has looked like a straight line to me has been a circling or a doubling back.

I have been in the Dark Wood of Error any number of times. I have known something of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, but not always in that order. The names of many snares and dangers have been made known to me, but I have seen them only in looking back. Often I have not known where I was going until I was already there. I have had my share of desires and goals, but my life has come to me or I have gone to it mainly by way of mistakes and surprises. Often I have received better than I deserved. Often my fairest hopes have rested on bad mistakes. I am an ignorant pilgrim, crossing a dark valley. And yet for a long time, looking back, I have been unable to shake off the feeling that I have been led - make of that what you will.”

Thank you, to those who matter, for your indulgence and forbearance as I attempt to make a record on which I can "look back".

A Wandering Pilgrim