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Monday, May 18, 2015

Words That Can Haunt Me, Part 11: Exploration

"We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time."

TS Eliot's wise words have been a source of both solace and frustration for me since I first stumbled onto them years ago. If you've ever shared my ambivalence about exploration, today would be a good day to tell me about it.

For better or worse, exploration has been a dominant theme in my life. One of my clearest childhood memories is my mother routinely telling me - "Patrick, you are too serious." What does a pre-adolescent do with that observation? Of course, I can't recall my feelings upon hearing her words. However, based on my subsequent behavior and life choices, it's pretty obvious I didn't equate seriousness with exploration. Are those two words strongly linked for you?

Fast forward to early 2011. Seth Godin's 2010 book "Linchpin" speaks of blogs as an effective way to "explore" 21st century technology and potentially "connect" with others in cyberspace. Over four years flash by and serious Pat reflects - How close am I to arriving at where I started? When was the last time you felt close? When exploration wears you down, what do you use as an antidote?

2 comments:

  1. Pat, I can't get your email link address to work. Email me at: jedvorak@juno.com

    Not sure about a writers' group, but let's make contact anyhow.

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  2. I'm reminded of the experience of re-reading a book after many years have passed...you literally arrive where you started and know the book for the first time. The exploration that is life, which occurrec in the interim between the two readings, gives you a brand new perspective on the characters and the author's intention and point of view. It becomes meaningful in a completely different context.

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