Making Waves

Wherever you’ve been, you’ve made a path. Walking through the woods, the tall grass, the sand; you can almost always look back and see the direction you’ve come. Some paths are more clear than others. Some are straight lines. Some twist and turn. Some end abruptly and start again in a new direction. And some are blurred by the surroundings — a wave on the shore might wash away your path in the sand, or the wind might overcome your steps in the snow. Nevertheless, you’ve made a path with your life, a path you can’t possibly make without being in motion.

I paused recently at the back of an ocean-going cruise ship. The sky was blue. The air crisp. The sea was calm and it slapped gently against the ship as it cut through the water. I walked along the top deck, passed several times by men with black socks and sneakers, almost twice my age. Pausing at the back, I was fixed on the path we’d made through the water. It went as far back as I could see. Close to the ship, I could feel the power of the engines, churning up the water behind us. Turquoise and white bubbles stirred among the darker colors of the ocean. It seemed to boil as more color came to the surface, propelling us toward our destination. This is where the action was. Busyness. Power. Motion.