On the Eve of Travel

Tomorrow my journey begins. Surprisingly, I don't have a whole lot to say right now, at least not much of substance. Or, nothing that would really capture my feelings adequately.

I've intentionally kept myself busy so that I haven't had time for sentimentality. Let's call it an experiment in coping strategies. Whatever the case may be, my flight leaves in 16 hours. After that, whether or not there have been things left unsaid between me and the Universe At Large, I'll be gone on my journey; committed to the road.

I'm excited to go. Scared. If we want to be honest with each other (And why wouldn't we? We've known each other for a few hours already), I'm probably more scared than excited. Visa issues? Unresolved. Language capabilities? Rudimentary, to be generous. Housing settled? Incompletely. Yet, what else is there for me to do than--to shamelessly plagiarize from an overpopular modern choral anthem--steel myself, take one last breath, and leap?

Much (so much) has been written on the subject of parting and Taking The Next Step, but one piece of literature remains my favorite for its lyricism, its spot-on description of traveling (complete with a truly dark, hard-hitting scene of the wayward traveler, lost and alone) and its ultimately uplifting message of redemption. I apologize, but when I went to choose just a few passages to post, I really couldn't bring myself to cut out any, it's just kind of perfect the way it is. So in its entirety--with my apologies--Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss:

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself 

any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. 

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. 

About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” 

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, 

you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any 

you’ll want to go down. 

In that case, of course, 

you’ll head straight out of town. 

It’s opener there 

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen 

and frequently do 

to people as brainy 

and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, 

don’t worry. Don’t stew. 

Just go right along. 

You’ll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers 

who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. 

You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. 

Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. 

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so 

but, sadly, it’s true 

that Bang-ups 

and Hang-ups 

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up 

in a prickle-ly perch. 

And your gang will fly on. 

You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch 

with an unpleasant bump. 

And the chances are, then, 

that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, 

you’re not in for much fun. 

Un-slumping yourself 

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. 

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. 

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! 

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? 

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? 

Or go around back and sneak in from behind? 

Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, 

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused 

that you’ll start in to race 

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace 

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, 

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go 

or a bus to come, or a plane to go 

or the mail to come, or the rain to go 

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow 

or waiting around for a Yes or No 

or waiting for their hair to grow. 

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite 

or waiting for wind to fly a kite 

or waiting around for Friday night 

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake 

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break 

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants 

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. 

Everyone is just waiting.

NO! 

That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape 

all that waiting and staying. 

You’ll find the bright places 

where Boom Bands are playing. 

With banner flip-flapping, 

once more you’ll ride high! 

Ready for anything under the sky. 

Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! 

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. 

And the magical things you can do with that ball 

will make you the winning-est winner of all. 

Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, 

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. 

Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times 

you’ll play lonely games too. 

Games you can’t win 

‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, 

Alone will be something 

you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance 

you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. 

There are some, down the road between hither and yon, 

that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go 

though the weather be foul. 

On you will go 

though your enemies prowl. 

On you will go 

though the Hakken-Kraks howl. 

Onward up many 

a frightening creek, 

though your arms may get sore 

and your sneakers may leak. 

On and on you will hike. 

And I know you’ll hike far 

and face up to your problems 

whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, 

as you already know. 

You’ll get mixed up 

with many strange birds as you go. 

 So be sure when you step. 

Step with care and great tact 

and remember that Life’s 

a Great Balancing Act. 

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. 

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray 

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, 

you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!