An Abundant Life - The Journey Of A Thousand Miles

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu is the author of a proverb that in translation has come to be understood as "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." The original talks about a distance of 1,000 li, a measure of distance that is actually much larger than one thousand miles, and the literal translation is "The journey of a thousand li starts under your feet." I studied Lao Tzu with one of the foremost experts on Chinese philosophy, but I don't remember learning about this particular proverb. What I do remember is that although he was considered a cultural deity and was claimed in the lineage of the Emperors of the Tang dynasty, Lao Tzu was what we would consider today to be a man of the people, and the things that he spoke about were both filled with wisdom and easy to understand. His writings were enjoyable and enlightening, and easy to be put into every day practice. Most well known as the writer of the Tao Te Ching, though he lived by some accounts in the 6th century and by others even earlier, the concepts he shared are the basis of not only a religion but an entire way of living a healthy life.

Every week I travel by two different buses to work with a performing artist in Rockland County. The first bus I take is a local hop on and hop off kind of minivan, and though many people take it for only a few stops, I travel twelve miles through different townships. There are many of these buses that travel up and down the route each day through Jersey City, Bergenline, North Bergen, Union City, Cliffside Park, Fairview and Fort Lee, and though I've had some excellent drivers and enjoyable adventures, each trip for the most part is pretty much the same. Last week I had an experience that was different in a way that is hard to describe, but it made me think of Lao Tzu and how there are times we begin a new part of our journey just by changing the way we think and taking a step in a new way.

The conversation that I had with the driver that day made the rainy day brighter, and the usually long trip flew by. It started simply enough - it was the Monday after January 1, and though some of us were working, some people were not. There was that strange almost holiday feel, though the holidays were officially over, and because of the weather it seemed as if some people on the roads were having a hard time getting going. The driver started talking to me because I responded to his apology for the stop and go caused by drivers who seemed unaware that some of us needed to be somewhere - I try to time my trip to make sure I can make the schedule of the bus at the end of my road, and though I wasn't complaining, the driver apologized for the people stopping their cars in the middle of the street and unloading and loading passengers and packages. We started to talk about his job and mine, and he shared his dreams and goals. On that rainy day in that small space, I learned something about another person that enriched my day and will continue to ever after. His job is not an easy one, but he tries to do it the best that he can and to help people travel where they need to go on time and safely. And although he has a vision of a completely different life, his commitment to doing his current job with excellence makes his passengers' journeys easier.

Julio Garcia Makes A Rainy Day Brighter

Blessings,

Jannie Susan