Enjoy the Journey

The Monkey Man was chatting with a co-worker this week, discussing this journey called life. He had an epiphany of sorts.

The Monkey Man thought back to his young chimphood. His parents would take the Monkey Man to visit his grandparents numerous times each year. This was no small journey for a young chimp. Driving a couple hours each way to his grandparents home seemed like an eternity at times. As the Monkey Man reminisced about these journeys, he tried to remember the visits with his grandparents. Some of the activities and discussions he could recall, many he could not.

What surprised the Monkey Man was how many of the events of the journey he could remember while he could only recall a few events that occurred at the end of the road. The Monkey Man can remember the games the fellow monkeys played while traveling in the back of the car. He can remember having contests counting how many deer they could find as they drove through the mountains. He can remember his mother noticing a "really big cow" that turned out to be a moose. He remembers his father hitchhiking back to get help after the car broke down. He remembers the mudslide that made it impossible to travel the normal route, extending the trip. He remembers watching for Rudolf's red nose as they drove on Christmas Eve.

The Monkey Man does remember some of the fond memories spent with his grandparents, but he realizes even more-so that the final destination was only part of the prize. There are so many joys and memories we can and should remember from the journey itself.

Too many times, we speed through life with our eyes only set on that final destination, be it the career of our choice, the home or car we want to purchase, the person we want to date/marry. The Monkey Man would encourage you to take a moment and enjoy the journey. Take the time to enjoy the ride. It will make the final destination that much sweeter.