“We attribute much to chance meetings, refer to them as turning points in our life, but these encounters could never have occurred had we not made ourselves ready for them. If we possessed more awareness, these fortuitous encounters would yield still greater rewards. It is only at certain unpredictable times that we are fully attuned, fully expectant, and thus in a position to receive the favors of fortune. The man who is fully awake knows that every ‘happening’ is packed with significance.”
–Henry Miller, The World of Sex (1940)
I came across this quote this morning, and have been thinking about it on and off all day.
Yesterday Russ and I rented Into the Wild, among other things.
If you have not yet seen the film, I highly recommend it. It is based on the real life story of Christopher McCandless, whom upon graduating college gave up all his savings and headed out to the open road. The film showcases the incredible two year journey that drove him to cut off all contact with those who loved him, and eventually led to his untimely death. It is filled with adventure and leaves an anxious soul wanting to go off on their own excursion.
For the longest time I thought that in order to have an adventure, you needed to go places, you needed to hunt it out. In the back of my mind I know that it is quite the contrary. There are new opportunities around at all times. When traveling, my mind is clearer and I find myself more willing to expect the unexpected. It is only when I am home and in my comfort zone that I don’t recognize the opportunities, and often brush them off thinking they are interruptions and quite bothersome.
Though I may not yet be able to escape and live out my lifelong dream of living on the road like Chris McCandless or Kerouac or Thompson–yet, if I can become more aware of what is going on outside of my little bubble I can at least welcome the adventure that presents itself a little closer to home.
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