Miles From Nowhere

"Miles from Nowhere, 

guess I'll take my time, 

to reach there... 

Look up at the mountain that I have to climb, 

to reach there... 

And Lord my body, has been a good friend, 

but I won't need it, 

when I reach the end..."

Any true Cat Stevens fan  knows this one by heart.  The energy of this song is so true and powerful, you cannot listen to it without being convinced that taking your time must be the best way to live your life.  There is so much pressure to get where we're going, and find out who we are and what our individual contribution will be.  People say its the journey that matters, and that has to be true, but its just way too easy to grope your way into the next phase without recognizing that your life is beautiful right where it is.  This is not news to anyone.  Its such a cliche' I'm getting sick just writing about it, but its so powerful that its justified.  Miles from nowhere is a scary place to be, and I know personally that I've felt far away from my purpose or contribution for a long, long time.  But honestly, miles from nowhere isn't that bad if you realize that you might as well just take your time, since you're not getting anywhere soon.  This idea I have for my life that I want to keep going to school and someday be a professor makes me laugh out loud (trying to mask the terror most likely).  Why am I saying that I want to do this incredibly difficult thing?  I know I have something to contribute, to society, future generations, God's people, who knows?  But its so far away... I could easily rush all of the next five to six years, and then what?  I'd be all done?  Accomplished everything?  Ship shape, ready to die happy? No.  That will be just the beginning.  I can't forget that. We get so wrapped up in the preparation and the money and the people we need to help us get where we're going that we don't even recognize that all of those elements are part of the whole, not just the prelims to starting our life finally.  I'm twenty five, and I have so much time ahead of me to get old and wise, and I want to try my best not to rush it.  On our most recent New York trip, Evan's crazy grandma told me that she thought her thirties were "her best decade".  I loved hearing that, I've liked so much of my life so far, and I've still got five whole years to go before I even get to thirty!  Seriously, miles from nowhere might possibly be the chronic category of life, and I think I'm beginning to be okay with that.