First, You Need A Map…

Good advice. Succinct and to the the point. Don’t you wish everything was that clear…

When I was younger (always dangerous to start with that) I was hunting for treasure. A  big, red “X” marked the spot. It loomed large on a blank page, no latitude or longitude and no clear route. No map to speak of, just a big, fat “X” that was music. I had the will and my drums. I hit the road, created my map as I went along and ultimately found my treasure. Sometimes it’s not where you think you should be looking. And sometimes it’s right under your nose.

These days, I have a map. It’s clear, concise and has so much information on it, it’s almost difficult to read. It contains all previous tracks, paths and dead ends. False starts and poignant landmarks. Depths, currents and tides. Latitude… longitude. Navigation markers too numerous to fit on one page. Close-ups of channel markers and hidden obstructions that lie just beneath the surface. But no “X”.

I guess I’m working on the “X” for now. And this time, I don’t think it’s a big, fat, glaringly obvious “X” but more like an “x“. I think as we undertake this journey I have to learn to be ok without having an “x”. That’s difficult for me. But I do have a map… and everyone knows… “FIRST, you need a map…”