Far or Fast?

I’ve heard it said that if you want to travel far, go with friends.  If you want to travel fast, go alone.

I believe I could separate the parts of my life into different parts. In one part, I go fast, such as writing my blog. I do that alone. Then there is the part where I go with others, such as to a dinner party.

Far and Fast.  Each one has its place in every life.

But if I had to choose just one, I think I would go far with friends.  After all, the journey – any journey, if only to the grocery store, can be more fully satisfying when you share it with others.  It might be valuable to make use of and even enjoy the time when you’re alone, especially since we all spend a lot of time alone (as when I am writing this blog).

But time spent with others connects us in a way that can be deeply meaningful and rewarding.

The problem of going far with friends is that, alas, they have their own needs and desires.  They want to go to the bathroom; it seems like every hour.  They want to take a detour to see a special view.  They sometimes just stare into space after finishing a meal instead of running to the car to resume the journey.

Upon reflection, maybe I really do prefer fast.  It’s fun to race against myself.  How fast can I actually run the 100-meter dash, or how quickly can I complete a blog?

We all face a huge variety of choices every day.  Stay at home or run errands.  Finish reading a book or attend a baby shower.  Finish the hard work first (not like me – I’ll determine if the task I dislike has to be done at all.  And if so, then perhaps I can find someone else to do it for me).

This blog is kind of an intermediate point.  I’m writing it alone, but I’m thinking about its impact on others.

I’m left with the thought that life far or life fast – both have their place.  I’m finished, for now, writing fast.  Now it’s time to send this to others for input.  It slows down the work but improves the final product. And after all – isn’t sharing with others what this blog is all about.

Alan