OT 'The Station'

[Guest guest]

for those of you who don't know this inspirational piece, well worth reading.

THE STATION

By J. Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a

long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows

we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at

a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a

power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of

mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a

certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags

waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the

pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How

restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering – waiting,

waiting, waiting for the station.

" When we reach the station, that will be it! " we cry. " When I'm l8. " " When I

buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz! " " When I put the last kid through college. "

" When I have paid off the mortgage! " " When I get a promotion. " " When I reach

the age of retirement, I will live happily ever after! "

Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at

once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a

dream. It constantly outdistances us.

" Relish the moment " is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24:

" This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. "

It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over

yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us

of today.

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more

mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch

more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The

station will come soon enough.