It would be foolish for me to argue the lack of innumerable blessings in my life; among them people working to “think in depth.” In fact, such a person’s observations are the impetus for this piece.

Put another way, you could argue this prattling missive, is a “knee jerk reaction” to the musings of such a one—as, frankly, are many (perhaps even most?) of my works.

In this case, the person in question was considering three heavily sought after things. To wit, he spoke of the pursuit of wealth, power, and fame.

He contended that the three were not “ends.”

Before I agree with him, I’m going to take a moment to argue against what he said. I do this not to count his intent incorrect, so much as to clarify what I think he was saying for my own sake.

It’s absolutely fair to argue that the desire to attain the three aforementioned can be “ends.”

That said, I really don’t believe the individual who indicated otherwise, was really arguing that wasn’t the case.

Rather, I believe he had it as his thrust, to argue they shouldn’t be things to which one ought to “hitch one’s wagon.”

Put another way, you can seek them as final outcomes, but you ought not do so.

I’ve been prone to use the analogy in which I compare maps, to plans of other types.

Imagine you’re intent on making your way to Tacoma, Washington.

You go to your local—these days, antiquated, if not entirely obsolete—map store. Looking around, you find a cartographic chart of California. You buy that map, with the idea of employing it to navigate to your destination.

Will that bit of parchment get you from your current location, to the one where you intended to find yourself? I wouldn’t think that a likely outcome.

Obviously, you would require that the tool used at a minimum, had upon it the city to which you intended to travel. Ideally, it would also have the place whereon you currently stood, and points in between through which you needed to pass in order to get from “point A to point B.”

All of this seems relatively obvious, I would think.

What a lot of folks miss though is, you must first know to what village you desire to travel, before the directional device is of any value at all.

I would point out that the very first thing needed, is an understanding of where you are.

To state things plainly you’re not going to get from Poughkeepsie to Tacoma, if you’re currently in Orem.

All of this matters not at all, if you’re not the “one in charge” at least to some degree.

That is to say, what’s termed “agency,” or “self determination,” is a must for any of this to matter.

If you’re not in charge to at least a small extent, you can’t plan to begin with, but even if you were able so to do, so doing wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans.

Having dispensed with that reality, the next question I have is, “Why am I here?” For without being able to resolve this not-so-simple query, it seems quite improbable you’ll correctly ascertain a desired endpoint for your trek.

I know what I believe where this is concerned, and I’m quite pleased I’m able to say that.

In my humble opinion, those who believe there is no Creator, or that the One who made us is not intimately involved with His creation are to be pitied.

In my mind, they’re akin to raindrops rolling off a roof. The bumps and valleys of that path are predetermined. They can but wait for gravity to do its work.

For my part, the road I choose to travel, is one in which I seek to please God. I’m not saying I’m tremendously successful in doing that. At times (probably more often than not, if I’m honest), I’m a miserable failure where that aim is concerned. Still, that’s the direction I choose.

I can give you my reasons ‘til the proverbial cows come home. In the end though, you must come to your own conclusions—you must make your own decisions.

My place is to give you things to consider where doing so is concerned, but no more or less than is the case for me, you must chart your course through this life.

I’m the father of multiple children. How well I’ve done in being so is a subject of debate.

One thing I hope I’ve made plain to all my progeny is, I can tell you what you ought to aim to do and be, I can offer sage words of wisdom, I can work to direct your steps (within my meager ability so to do), but I cannot live your life for you.

It’s my contention you have every ability to completely ignore all I do, and say.

If that’s true for the offspring who have lived under my “benevolent dictatorship,” how much more is it the case for those over whom I have very much less sway?

Getting back to the original point of this ramble, it seems to me (to reiterate), you should consider a relatively brief list of things to decide where you’re going in this short existence.

To begin with, “Have I agency or not?” If you respond in the negative, little else matters.

If you do, the next question I would ask is easy to posit, but much harder to resolve. It is, “Why do I exist?”

Assuming you’re not some “random scramble of subatomic particles;” if you’re “fearfully and wonderfully made” (as I maintain is the case), seeking that truth seems essential.

Still with me? If so, the final conundrum is, “How do I achieve that for which I was created?”

Only if you’re able to come to some meaningful conclusion where this is concerned, can you plot a course to your destination. Otherwise, you may as well spend your time whistling into the wind.

I want to thank my “helper” in causing me to craft that which you now read. Thank you Thomas, for helping me to formulate what I’ve put forth here.

As is my custom, I wish my readers the best of days. If you’re not currently living such, I pray that comes to be in short order.