A Peaceful Journey

All I want is a peaceful journey through the minefield of life. Just a place to go to be left alone and to step off the treadmill headed to more of the same. That long and winding road strewn with the rubble of our dreams destroyed.

Then again, in order to have a peaceful journey, I’ll need my basic needs met – someplace to shelter from the elements (with a flat screen TV and super-fast internet, of course), enough food to eat, immediate safety from predators for me and mine – that sort of thing.

Many of us have those needs covered (notable exceptions being millions across the globe living in war zones or refugee camps – or those in the paths of Harvey or Irma) but those folks aside, once you meet your basic needs it seems that human nature in this day and age compels us to look for what is missing.

We tick these items off our lists as givens that used to be hard fought and often lost, and spare nary a moment to reflect on our good fortune.

Why is it when given a chance, most people obsess about what they lack, and rarely give due credit for what they have – until they have it no more.

What is it about this modern, westernized, allegedly civilized world in which we live that compels us to seek that one thing – more money, better love, bigger house, better job – that we feel we lack? Even as we get that promotion or move into that bigger house, or lose those last ten pounds, we instinctively go right on to the next thing, wasting no thought for all that preceded it in our quest for whatever it is we need this week or month or year.

So when I say that all I want is a peaceful journey, who am I kidding? Peace is almost never a truly held goal. If it were the world wouldn’t be in a constant state of war. We only want peace once we’re weary of war. And I’m weary. I so wish our so-called leaders felt the same.