We woke up this Saturday to a thick blanket of coastal fog. Looking out our dining room window we could only see faint outlines of the trees and buildings right outside our apartment.
A short while later I went out for a walk. The fog was still thick but miraculously from the sidewalk I could see nearly a block in front of me. I walked about thirteen blocks enjoying the cottony mist on my face and thinking about how being outside, doing the walk, I could see so much more than I could from the warm safe comforts of home. It was in the doing, stepping out into it, that I was able to see my way forward.
I couldn’t see beyond the corner I was walking to but I didn’t need to. I knew I could just keep stepping forward into the limited amount I could see, and all would come clear as I approached.
This is how I am trying to lead my life now. Not staying in the comforts of my mind analyzing, trying to predict, worrying, and wondering, but getting out there on the sidewalk.
The best we can do is to step forward, out into the mist, out into the unknown, knowing that if we keep walking forward that all will come clear. Can I see the next block in front of me? No. But I don’t always need to.
*Fall is one of my favorite seasons so I really enjoyed this post Pining for Fall over at Ten Dollar Thoughts.
** Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment or share this post with a friend, I so appreciate it!
I love this analogy. It makes me think of a Doctorow quote I love: “It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” I think about it all the time … xox
So great that you and Amy both said that! I had the Doctorow quote at the top of the post originally but ultimately decided not to include it because I thought people would think I was only referring to writing. It does perfectly fit though. Writing and life…all we can do is trust our instincts and step forward even though we can’t see very far ahead.
This reminds me of a favorite quote…it’s about writing, but can be applied to life:
…writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
-E.L. Doctorow
Beautiful metaphor. We think we know where we’re going, but so often end up taking a different path. I needed to hear these words today. Thank you.