Journeys and Destinations

It’s the end of the holiday season… many folks’ conversations are about where they’ve been and what they’ve done… where we stayed, what our weather was like… the food eaten, souvenirs bought, memories created, illness contracted, lessons learnt…

Part of the story often includes the journey – the airport we were stranded in, our car that chose to break down on us, the train arriving at the wrong platform, the satnav that took us through a farmyard…

This week our children and young people are back to school and college…

When I was teaching the discussion often was whether education was a journey or a destination. Politicians often emphasise the journey, it’s the means to an end – creating a literate work-force, providing more skilled scientists, preventing teenage pregnancies…

My training saw education as a destination, a place to stay, providing nourishment, creating memories, enabling learning… I grew to realise that a destination could be part of the journey…

Musing…

…Family… Grandson-Luca starting High School – his destination for the next five years, but part of his journey to adulthood; granddaughter-Hannah returning to Canterbury – her destination for two more years, but part of her journey to become an early-years teacher.

…The Prodigal Son… Jesus’ well-known story… The boy leaves home, setting out on a journey… he lives in party-land, he goes to pig-farm world, he returns to dad’s home… each destination is part of his journey.

…Friends…  in the middle of a course of chemotherapy… starting the new football season… preparing for a family funeral… apprehensive about a new job… encountering dementia… temporary destinations that are part of their journey…

…Me… Some Christian friends would emphasise ‘This world is not my home I’m just a passing through…’; this life is just a journey to heaven. I look at my diary for the rest of the week… Costa, Men’s Shed, dentist, home-visit, hospital-visit, Oddfellows-pub, Seagull-theatre, church… all part of the journey, but each temporary destinations that I can enjoy, learn and receive nourishment from, and create memories.