Don’t misunderstand, having a routine is a good thing. It gives us a predictable steadiness that can provide a sense of purpose. I have a reason to get up in the morning. The world needs me. Routines are not bad. However, nothing can energize a routine quite like breaking it. The challenges provided by the unexpected moments in life are wonderful for engaging our sense of wonder and awe.
A planned adventure has two components. One is the months of expectation which fill us with hope. And the second is the anticipation that a planned adventure may very well deliver unplanned delights.
Lucky for us all there exists a perfect opportunity for all of us to experience the unexpected in a somewhat controlled and expected way. There is a manner by which we can actually plan for the unplanned. It is called a “vacation”. Everyone needs a vacation.
Now I realize that there are going to be those who would reject such an all-inclusive sort of statement. There are those who would say that some people are perfectly content with their simple, boring, tedious life. They would argue that their Uncle George, who hasn’t had a vacation in the last 44 years, is the perfect example. Not only does Uncle George not want to go on a vacation, but there is not a living soul that knows Uncle George that would want for him to come on vacation with them. But I would argue that Uncle George doesn’t prove a thing. Uncle George cannot know what he doesn’t know.
I hear you. You would remind me of his one and only vaction. Uncle George went on vacation in 1970. His transportation: an AMC Gremlin hatchback. His destination:
O.K. Perhaps you are correct. Uncle George may be permanently disconsolate when it comes to vacations. But… everyone else NEEDS a vacation for which they can be planning. Everyone else needs to know that their routine is about to come undone. Sad is the man who has only two things to look forward to: the monotony of his daily life… and death.
We need to be planning our summer flower gardens. We need to be planning an Anniversary party for our parents. We need to be planning that kitchen remodel. We need to be planning a vacation. We need to be planning for dancing with our daughter at her Wedding. Everyone needs to be planning an adventure. And a romantic overnight stay at a Holiday Inn, though not a bad idea, is NOT what I’m talking about. Life, if lived at it’s best, is an adventure. We need to have a life that is bigger than ourselves. We need a comfortable vacation that gets us out of our comfort zone. We need to be taking things OFF our Bucket List.
Which brings me to my conclusion. Everyone of us is terminal. I never want to have an empty Bucket List. I want to constantly be crossing adventures off and adding new ones. The number on cause of death is living. And the truth is… we all get to choose when we die. Jesus himself said as much when he said, “Let the dead bury their dead.”
Those that choose to live their lives without adventures have already died. I, on the other hand, want to wring as much adventure as possible out of the few years I have. I want to live, I mean really live, right up to the very end. And then I want to be able to look back, salute everyone remaining here, bid you all, “Adieu”… then turn back around, and with absolute confidence, begin the greatest adventure of all, with a smile on my face and no regrets in my heart.
We set sail in less than a month. I will post about "packing" in a few days.
