Amarajothy

Of Journeys.

 3/366

Was listening to a podcast on the way to the workshop this morning and liked it so much I played it again on the way back this evening. In fact during lunch I even surfed the net to find out more about the comedian on the show, Henry Normal. He’s a writer and poet of some repute though I must admit that that reputation had eluded me until today. Though I appreciate a good poem, I don’t really read that much poetry, so had not heard of him as poet. And the fact I don’t really watch TV explains why I’m not familiar with his role as a writer or producer of many TV series.

The podcast episode of Radio 4’s Comedy of The Week had quite a few standout poems and I will probably visit some of them in future essays but for today I’d like to home in on one line - not actually in any poem - which reached out to me.

Now I love the idea of journeys - physical as well as figurative ones. And I have often told people to just ‘enjoy the journey’ when it comes to their life. So whether it’s changing jobs and careers (and haven’t I done that so many times!), or dealing with a crisis or an unexpected situation, or even navigating a challenging relationship, I have often suggested just relaxing and enjoying the ride. Don’t focus too hard on the destination and trust that the process is for the better.

It is this aspect that Henry Normal’s declaration touches on:

‘The Nature of Journey is Change’

When I heard this line I paused for a moment. I should say I was driving at the time and my pause was in my head not on the road. I then had to hit the rewind button to hear it again.

Every journey changes you. It’s not the destination that does this - it’s the path you take to get there. It’s not your degree that changes you but the courses you attended, the friends you made, the insights you gained. It’s not the job you take on that changes you but the daily grind, the challenges, the successes. 

It’s a very subtle distinction and I realise that though I’ve always told people to enjoy the journey, the implication has always been that one day you’ll ‘get there’. Understanding that the nature of the journey is change removes this intention and focusses instead on the little steps along the way, allowing you to value, savour and draw as much as possible from each one.

I like this idea. But now it is late and the nature of the night is sleep. I shall think about this more tomorrow.